


The Unexpected

by BeepBot



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:22:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 93,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27313294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeepBot/pseuds/BeepBot
Summary: When Charlotte moves to Sanditon and bumps into Sidney Parker things do not go as expected.From the first meeting it is clear it will be a bumpy ride as they negotiate their way through friendship, angst and lust but will they find themselves in love and will it be with each other?
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood & Sidney Parker, Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker, Lord Babington/Esther Denham
Comments: 1239
Kudos: 671





	1. Friday

**Author's Note:**

> And so it begins......
> 
> This is their first meeting on a cold, crisp Friday

Charlotte was absently tapping her pen watching the second hand as it ticked around the clock. Her last client of the day was late, extremely late. Typically, it was Friday and she’d already had the day from hell. She sighed heavily and looked at her phone to check if he had messaged her to explain, but nothing. She wished she had taken his full name and mobile number, she only had him written down as Sid, perhaps he was an elderly chap and that’s why he was running so late. 

“Five more minutes and then we’re leaving” she said looking down at her cockapoo puppy. At only 6 months old, Mavis is still small enough to sit on Charlottes lap. Charlotte is so glad to have her company, not only in the office when waiting for extremely late clients but also in her new flat. It's the first time she's lived alone and the silence although quite welcome sometimes seems extremely loud. Having Mavis just gives Charlotte someone to talk to, she stops her feeling like she's going mad talking to herself as Mavis seems to understand every word she says. 

Suddenly Charlotte hears the door open, the bell above it tingling loudly. She looks at the clock 23 minutes late. She should really tell him to leave as he's so late, but she doesn't want to turn away a potential long-term customer. 

As she stood to leave the kitchen come office area, she hears him start talking, she moves to lean against the door frame while he closes the door, his back to her. 

"Hello, I'm so sorry I'm late, I've had a nightmare day and I couldn't get out of the office, no matter what... " 

His voice trails off as he turned and saw her face. 

"Oh, it's you!" he practically spits at her; she straightens up as he begins to pull his coat back on. Charlotte isn't sure what to do or to say. She is sure he can see her hand tremble slightly, so she crosses her arms, determined not to show that he’s intimidating her 

"This isn't going to work for me, I'm just going to leave." 

"Mr. Parker, please, wait. I'm sorry about earlier, I thought we'd agreed it was an accident and that the insurance would cover everything." 

Sighing, he bent down to stroke Mavis who was waiting patiently to be acknowledged at his feet, Charlotte couldn’t believe how traitorous her little dog was being, allowing the handsome man to stroke her as she tried to lick his hand. 

He sighed again as he stood. He looked her up and down, taking in her full appearance and was surprised by what he saw. 

When he'd seen her in the street, he hadn't really looked at her, he was too busy looking at the large dent in the bumper of his GTI Golf, he'd been parked talking on his phone and she had just driven into him as she tried to park her car next to him. He hadn't been overly polite when he gotten out of the car, in truth he'd barely looked at her before he'd shouted at her. He'd had the worst week at work with Tom trying to sell another idea that they didn't have the cash flow to start let alone follow through to completion, his best mate, from school Crowe breaking his leg while in France skiing. The dent was just the straw that broke this camel's back, and he unleashed his full temper on this young woman who was looking at him with large brown eyes. He could tell she was a little nervous that he might repeat his earlier performance, he’d noticed the slight tremble in her hands. He hadn’t realised how slight she was, a good 6 or 7 inches shorter than himself, and although petite she had curves in all the right places. He felt himself grow warm as he sighed again loudly and ran his hand through his hair. 

As he looked at her, she pulled herself to her full height as if to show she wouldn’t be intimidated by who he was or by his earlier rudeness. 

'Look I can be professional, I'm good, really good at what I do and after today I suspect you could very much use a massage' she rubbed her hands tensely as she waited for his answer desperately hoping he would say yes, she needed the extra money especially now her car insurance premium was about to go up. 

'I don't know, I'm not sure I can relax. I think I'll just leave" 

"Mr. Parker, please, just try. If after 15 minutes I'm not working for you, I mean if the massage isn't working then I'll stop" Charlotte moved towards another door in the room, which he hadn't noticed, as she open it the aromatherapy oil which was burning inside wafted out, as he breathed it in, he could feel he was already starting to relax. 

"OK, that works for me, but I won't pay if I don't stay for the whole massage." 

Charlotte turned to look at him, she really couldn't believe the nerve of this guy, could he be any ruder? First, he'd shouted at her for a small dent on his car while her bumper had practically fallen off, then he was 25 minutes late and now he's expecting a free 15-minute massage. Charlotte was annoyed but she smiled sweetly and nodded at him. She needed him to like her massage she'd heard in the local cafe that the Parkers were kind of a big deal in Sanditon, after the Denham's that is. The truth was Charlotte needed Sidney Parker to promote her business to all his friends, family, and acquaintances if she was going to have any chance of surviving here. If he gave her a bad review, she knew she'd have to pack up, admit defeat and go home back to her parent's farm and learn how to milk the cows. That wasn’t something she was really prepared to do. 

Charlotte went through a few preliminary questions about Sidney Parkers health, any niggles he had in his body, any ailments she needed to know about then she left him to get undressed and get on to the massage table. 

She walked back into the kitchen area to wash her hands; she was so tempted to use cold water so her hands would shock him, but she knew that was professional suicide. 

As he was hoping to have a full body massage he stripped down to his black boxers, he'd placed his clothes on the chair in the corner and awkwardly got on the table, he always struggled to lay down and get the blanket over him. Once he was covered as best as he could he placed his face in the hole and waited for the girl to come back. 

While he was laying there, he tried to remember her name, but he just couldn't recall it, he tried picturing her face but what his mind conjured was the curve of her breasts under her thin t-shirt and the slope of her waist that gave way to the perfect roundness of feminine hips. He found himself thinking how much he'd have liked her to turn around so he could have seen her arse. He'd stupidly busied himself with putting his coat down as she had walked away out of the room. Now laying on the bed his body was reacting to his thoughts and his cock started twitching. 

"Shit" he said aloud as he tried to adjust himself just as the door opened. He stilled instantly glad he was laying on his stomach. 

"Everything OK Mr. Parker?" Charlotte moved through the room checking the temperature was just right and that the oil burner still had enough oil. 

He cleared his throat and hoarsely said "Yes everything is fine Miss erm..." he trailed off. 

She smiled he'd obviously forgotten her name; he really was insufferable. After a slightly longer pause than necessary, as she put the massage oil on her hands, she told him to call her Charlotte. 

As Charlotte went through the massage, she couldn't help noticing the muscle tone on his back, the shape of his arms, along with the perfect golden tan that covered him. Charlotte took a deep breath and felt her cheeks flush as she pushed his boxers lower down his bum so she could massage his gluteus maximus muscles, it was then that she realised the tan was an all over one, and it hadn’t come out of a bottle either. 

Sidney felt himself relax deeper and deeper into the table, this had to be the best massage he'd ever had, he had been to some exclusive places which boasted the best reviews, but this girl, this Charlotte topped them all. He sighed deeply and could feel himself drifting off to sleep. 

Suddenly he felt her fingertips pulling his boxers down a little exposing his bum to the cool air, his eyes pinged opened as he felt her hands continue the massage. He tried to relax again, not to think of who was doing the massage, he'd never had this issue during other massages, he was used to them, he went twice a month normally but there was something about this girl that made him feel awkward, out of control and not like himself at all. 

He'd already shouted at her, been rude to her by being so late, had a quick fantasy about her like a teenage boy would and now he could feel his face burning at the embarrassment of her touching his bum. Sidney decided it was just awkward because he didn't like her and although what she was doing felt great it just didn't seem appropriate. 

Finally, Charlotte started moving up his back again and as she stood at the head of the bed to work on his head, he looked at her socks, one was black with white spots and the other was black with white stripes, for some reason he found this endearing, with the pressure she was applying to his head Sidney closed his eyes and finally relaxed fully. 

Charlotte looked at the clock, they were into the last part of the massage, she had spent 45 minutes massaging the best body she had seen and felt since arriving in Sanditon 4 weeks earlier. In one-way Charlotte was eager for the massage to end, she was tired, her feet were sore and all she wanted to do was sink into a hot bath with a glass of wine listening to Nora Jones. Yet as the end of the massage neared, she found herself getting the hot stones out, placing them on a towel at the base of Sidney Parkers spine. She selected two and started to rub them over his back. The hot stones are a great massage tool but not normally one she uses in a full body massage as it naturally takes longer than the other massages she provides. Charlotte realised that she didn’t want to stop massaging his wonderfully sculpted back with his smooth golden skin. She felt herself blush and was grateful he couldn’t see her face, only her feet. She cursed herself for having odd socks on, she had completely given up on pairing socks, she considered this combination to be a pretty good match. They were the same colour after all. But she didn’t think Mr. Sidney Parker would appreciate that fact. She looked over at the chair holding his neatly folded clothes and rolled her eyes. He seemed to be uptight about everything even creases, although if her clothes were as expensive as that shirt looked, she would be uptight about them too. 

Charlotte removed the hot stones from Sidney's back and took one last look at its perfectness and reluctantly covered it with the blanket. 

“Ok Mr. Parker, that’s you're massage complete, how do you feel?” She held her breath waiting for his answer 

“Very relaxed, thank you” He could barely formulate the words in his head let alone get them out clearly. 

“Great, I shall bring you a glass of water, take all the time you need before getting up” 

With that Sidney saw her feet disappear from his limited view, followed by the sound of the door softly opening and closing. He laid on the bed slowly flexing his feet and moving his fingers. He had really enjoyed the massage, it had felt very sensual especially with the hot stones, his mind wandered to him using the hot stones on Charlotte and how he would like to follow them with his tongue. He felt his cock stirring, he sat up and ran his hands through his hair and looked down at his erect penis, it really had been too long since he’d been with a woman if this was all it took. 

As he sat there shaking his head the door opened, a wide-eyed Charlotte stood in the doorway with a clear view of his current situation, his mind whirled as he saw her cheeks blush, he caught her eye and gave her what he hoped was a bashful grin. This seemed to spur her in to motion, she walked across the room, placed the glass of water down. She stopped by the table took a deep breath then turned to walked back out of the door, saying something about giving him more time to get himself dressed. 

Sidney sighed, with a boyish grin got himself dressed. Thankfully, he’d managed to get himself under control again, he quickly paid, and left without any other conversation. Both were red cheeked, neither of them would look the other in the eye. 

As Sidney walked to his car, he got his phone out to text his best friend since school, Babington, who was more like Sidney's conscience; Babington had always been the more settled out of the 3 of them. Crowe had always been a little unreliable except when it really mattered but Babington had always been there for Sidney, no matter how big or small the problem was he would offer sage advice without judgement. 

Sidney: Are you about tonight for a drink? 

Sidney knew Babbington would still be at work so was close to his phone, he needed to talk through his week with someone he trusted. He needed some advice on how to stop Tom from bankrupting them all and destroying their decades old family business that their father had started. 

He also wanted to talk to him about his encounter with the masseuse, he was really confused by his reaction to her, his body had completely betrayed him, he was a grown man of 36 and he usually had better control over himself than that. He hadn't been in a relationship for over a year if he could call it a relationship. It had only lasted 6 weeks, and they’d barely talked during that time, it was more of a booty call or a friend with benefits style relationship. Before that he’d had a couple of one-night stands, but Sanditon was a small place, it would be awkward to bump into someone in the one and only supermarket here. He sighed as he sat waiting for Babington's reply, his private life had been a mess since he’d left Eliza in their London town house, but he wasn’t looking to start anything new. Especially not with this girl, she seemed too naïve to be much older than 20 and that was far too young for him. 

Finally, his phone pinged with a reply. 

Babington: If you can meet in the next half hour yes. Need to be home by 10 

Sidney looked at his watch, it was 8:30pm, an hour would be better than nothing. 

Sidney: OK meet you in the bar in 15 

Sidney pushed the ignition button and his car roared to life, just as he was about to pull out of his parking space, he saw Charlotte hurrying down the road clutching her dog in her arms. He watched her as she passed, wondering where her car was parked, it was dark and cold. She shouldn’t really be walking home alone at this time of night, he realised she wouldn’t have been so late if he hadn’t been late himself. 

Then he shrugged his shoulders; she was almost a grown-up she could make her own way home. He pulled out of the space and accelerated too quickly down the road making the engine roar unnecessarily. 

Charlotte looked up and recognised the car from earlier and quietly said to Mavis, “Why are the handsome ones always twats?” the little dog licked her chin as if to agree. 

Sidney was at the bar before Babington, he pulled up a stool, putting his phone and wallet on the bar. Once he’d ordered his drink he reflected on the evening. He couldn’t quite believe how good his body felt after that massage. Charlotte definitely knew how to relieve the tension in his back, he considered messaging her to thank her and to possibly book another appointment with her, but as he reached for his phone the memory of her seeing him sat on her massage table flashed in his mind and he decided he couldn’t put them both through that kind of embarrassment again just yet. He knew one thing for certain she may have relaxed his back but somehow, she had fully awakened his mind and his damn cock. He should be thinking about Tom and his hair brained scheme of asking for a million-pound increase on their loan to build a new extension to their current pool and restaurant yet all he could obsess about was the curve of her breasts in that damn t-shirt, he couldn’t understand why she was wearing a t-shirt, it was the beginning of December, didn’t she realise winter was for thick jumpers and cardigans not t shirts? Especially ones that clung to her breasts showing their perfect curve, with the material hanging loosely underneath, giving promise to a flat stomach. He could tell she had a small waist from seeing her in her coat, it was a fitted affair giving way to that perfectly round arse, he shook his head trying to get the image out of it, he could feel his cock twitching again, he really needed to sort himself out, he needed his body to stop reacting like a 15-year-old. 

He felt a hand on his back in a friendly pat, he looked up to see Babington sliding into the stool next to him, he motioned to the barman to signal he wanted the same again but twice. 

‘So, what's up old man? We haven’t had an impromptu drink in a long while’ 

‘Tom, what else could it be? Have you seen the new loan amount he's proposing? He’s bending my ear constantly about it. We’ll have to have a meeting next week to try to calm him down, we simply can’t afford the repayments.’ Sidney sighed swirling the amber liquid in his almost empty glass. He gulped it down, he picked up the new drink and swallowed the whole thing without stopping. He needed absolution tonight, he needed to drown everything out just for one night. 

Babington looked at him in wonderment, he knew Tom was exasperating but he didn’t usually drive Sidney to drinking quite this much. Babington considered his friend, the last time he’d seen him throw back good whiskey without tasting it was when he was trying to decide the best course of action to get Eliza out of his life completely, Babington had never seen a messier divorce, Eliza just would not let go and Sidney gave away far more than he should have just to get her out of his life. Sidney had already ordered the next drink and was sat looking at it in his hand. 

‘What else is it? Can’t just be Tom, don’t tell me Eliza has been back in touch.’ 

Sidney shook his head no, he sighed he couldn’t believe what he was going to say next, how had this young naïve girl affected him so much? When they’d met in the morning, she’d barely said anything in response to his tirade about the damage to his car other than to apologise, she’d thrust the paper in his hand, asked for his details. After he had given her his business card with his insurance company details scrawled across the back, she had thanked him and said she was sorry again but there wasn’t any need to have been so rude to her, it was an accident. He hadn’t apologised, he’d just agreed it was, then got in his car and left. He’d left her standing there with her bumper hanging off, he should have stayed to help her, but he had just needed to get out of there. Even in that moment she had affected him more than he was willing to admit, he wasn’t the kind of man who ran away but that is exactly what he had done this morning, ashamed of his poor behaviour. 

Then when he had seen her stood in the massage reception room, he had known he was in trouble, he just hadn’t expected his body to react in such a way. Again, she had stood up to him, stopping him from leaving so that she could complete the appointment, it was the best £40 he had spent in a long time. 

He explained all of this to Babington without looking at him, he heard Babington laugh, Sidney turned to look at him curious as to what was so funny, he raised his eyebrows in question. 

‘Oh, my friend I think you have finally met your match, just like I did with Esther. You need to apologise, make amends. If I were you, I would send her some flowers and pay for the damage to her car. I’ve heard she's new in town, come from a small village from what Esther said. She heard the ladies at the tennis club gossiping about her, something to do with her wearing last season's coat or something just as ridiculous. Esther is booked in with her on Monday, you know how she is, she struggles with the women in our circle, as we all do, so she wants to show solidarity with this new woman. I can get her to put in a good word for you if you want. Although sounds like you’ve done an excellent job of scaring her off already, if she wasn’t impressed by what she saw I’m not sure even Esther can help.’ Babington lifted his glass to try to hide his smirk. 

‘Ha fucking ha’ Sidney downed his latest drink ‘the flowers are probably a good idea and offering to pay for the damage. Her car was far worse off than mine.’ Sidney sighed, he decided there and then that he would call her in the morning to make his offer but once he had done that, he would put her out of his mind. He certainly didn’t need any more drama than this woman had already caused. 

Babington was true to his word and left around 10pm taking a very drunk Sidney with him, in the small space of time Sidney had managed to down quite a large quantity of whiskey among other shots. Babington grinned at him as he was slumped against the car window, gesticulating wildly with his hands while complaining about how this young woman, nay young girl had completely written off his car all the while smiling sweetly at him, Sidney continued to tell Babington that he couldn't believe the lengths some of these desperate girls would go to just to speak to him, the most eligible bachelor in Sanditon, but that she like the others would fail because he was unavailable and uninterested in any of them. 

Babington dragged a heavy Sidney into his house, laid him on his side on the sofa, placed a bowl on the floor next to him and a glass of water on the table by his head. He left quickly ignoring Sidney's rant as he continued on about how t-shirts shouldn't be allowed in December. 

Glancing up from the sofa Sidney realised Babington had left without even saying goodbye, married life really had made him boring. Where was Crowe when he needed him? He really needed more alcohol, remembering he had a fine bottle of whiskey in his office, he gingerly sat up and then slowly made his way along the hallway. 

Dropping into his leather swivel chair with the bottle in his hand, he dropped his phone on the desk and gave it a look of disgust as it pinged loudly at him:

"This is a courtesy message for Mr. Sidney Parker, thank you for visiting Retreat and Rest today. I hope you enjoyed your experience, if you wish to book any future appointments please telephone this number or use our booking page via Facebook. Thanks again Charlotte"

It was obviously an automated message but still one he could reply to, he put the bottle down so he could get a good grip on the phone in an attempt to stop the words jumping about and set about writing his reply.


	2. Saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see what a drunken Sidney text and what happens next with this lovely pair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for so many comments! I wasn't expecting that and all the kudos that was left too, you're all very kind.  
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter

The sun light streamed through the gap at the top of the curtains straight on to the pillow, causing Charlotte to stir, not quite ready to wake up she pulled the blanket up over her head. Just as she was slipping back to sleep, Mavis tried to jump up on to the bed, pulling the cover with her as she fell back to the floor with a little yelp. 

‘Ok, ok, I’m up’ Charlotte moaned as she picked her small dog up, she placed her on the bed next to her, reaching for her phone, she saw her alarm was about to go off in 15 minutes. As Mavis settled down next to her, Charlotte leaned back into her pillows and checked her messages. She had a reply from Sidney Parker, nervous to click on it, Charlotte closed her messages, got up and went straight in the shower. 

Trying to forget about the message, Charlotte allowed herself to have a long and very hot shower, letting the water rush over her head and down her body she watched it disappear down the drain. It was a poor attempt to stop herself thinking of the text from Sidney Parker, the longer she stood under the spray the more she became convinced it was a complaint rather than anything complementary. Perhaps the room wasn’t warm enough, or it had been too warm, maybe he didn’t like the smell of the aromatherapy oil she had burning, or the blanket was too rough? Letting out a deflated sigh she decided she would just have to deal with it and hope he didn’t tell too many of his friends he was disappointed with her service. 

As she soaped up her thick, long brown hair, she couldn’t stop her mind from recalling the shape of his back, the firmness of it under her hands, she imagined his arms flexing as they held his weight over her as she ran her fingers down his back. Scratching his tanned skin slightly as she went, until she gripped his toned bum, pulling him deeper into her. Her eyes popped open with a gasp; she had no idea where these thoughts were coming from. She had massaged other men who had toned muscular backs and had never fantasized about them, she didn’t understand why he would be any different. Charlotte acknowledged that he was her usual type, tall and dark, but his personality was most definitely not something she found attractive, he was abrupt, harsh and it seemed he was also unforgiving. 

The water started to run cold and Charlotte knew she could no longer use showering as an excuse to avoid the text. Drying off she grabbed her phone from the bedside table, taking a deep breath she opened her messages, his text was long, far too long to just be rebooking an appointment. 

Sidney Parker: So, there are a few things I would like to give feedback on. Firstly, your socks, why do you wear mismatched socks? It is quite a distraction to see them, it sets the mind wandering. I mean is it a one off or do you always not bother matching your socks? The second thing being your uniform, or lack of one! I believe a uniform would be of great benefit to your business, it would make you look more professional and less like a schoolgirl, obviously you are very young, but you could at least attempt to dress like an adult! A t-shirt isn’t work attire! Especially in December, if you won’t get a uniform may I suggest a large thick loose jumper at the very least. The other thing is, you need to give people more time between finishing them off and coming back with water. Otherwise, the massage was particularly good, and I would like to book in again next week, same time. Thanks SP x 

Charlotte stood staring at her phone with her mouth open, she could feel herself getting tense with the anger that had started radiating through her body. She could not believe he had commented on her clothing, her socks, and her age! Charlotte tried to understand what difference these things made to him, especially her age. He should have had his eyes closed like most of her clients do, none of the others had ever commented on her socks, she rarely wore shoes when in the massage room and no one had ever seemed concerned with her appearance before. She was struggling to understand why it would bother Sidney bloody Parker with his neatly folded clothes and smart brown leather shoes so much. Charlotte was surprised that he hadn’t understood that when she asked for feedback, she meant about his massage, not about her clothes! 

Getting dressed quickly Charlotte plaited her hair, called for Mavis, grabbing her bag, keys, and her warm blue coat she left the house. She needed to see the sea, she needed to calm herself down before she could attempt work, otherwise her first client would suffer the consequences and she couldn’t do that to them. 

She knew her temper had flared more quickly than it normally would, which had surprised her but the fact that he had the audacity to not only mention her appearance but that she had been unprofessional by returning to the room more quickly than proper was frustrating. If he told his friends what kind of reputation would she get from that kind of rumour? It was embarrassing that he had even brought it up, the thought of him sat there in all his glory made her feel hot, she increased her pace as her frustration mounted. How could he suggest that she had done it purposefully, when he was the one who had responded to her massage in a completely inappropriate way? Charlotte resolved that it was him who should be embarrassed about that encounter not her. 

Poor Mavis was being dragged along the street at quite an astonishing pace passing the hordes of Saturday morning shoppers, as they stopped to chat to each other or to look in a shop window. Charlotte needed to be out of the town center and away from the rush of the crowds. They reached the coastal path in record time, as they climbed the steep path that ran alongside the sea, Charlotte could feel her anger slipping away. The wind was blowing the loose strands of hair around her face and she could hear the waves rolling below her, crashing loudly as they broke on the shore or against the cliff tops causing huge splashes against the rocks. As the winter sun shone down on her she felt calmness wash over her once more, the sea doing its usual job of reminding her that the world will continue even when Sidney Parker acts like an idiot. At this thought she laughed out loud for such an intimidating; important businessman he was a tad foolish. 

As she waited for Mavis to finish sniffing about, Charlotte realised that his complaints were all about her personally rather than the massage she had performed. She decided there and then that they didn’t have to like each other, a massage is usually performed without conversation. His issues were baseless and wouldn’t affect her business, especially as he wanted to return. She would just ignore his foolish comments and carry on as before. The 3 weeks since she had opened had been very busy with most of the clients rebooking there and then. She remembered he had said he’d had a bad week, perhaps he had just taken it out on her, not appropriate and not acceptable but she wouldn’t turn his business away, maybe he would improve on better acquaintance and if he didn’t it didn’t matter as long as he paid. 

Pulling on the lead to encourage Mavis to walk, she headed down the path towards the beach which would lead her back to her retreat. 

Sidney half opened his eyes to the sound of his mobile buzzing its way across the desk, he slammed his hand down on it to stop its incessant noise. 

“Show some mercy, it’s rudely early!” he hissed as he picked up the phone to see who the caller was. Tom, it was always Tom. Sidney sighed and gripped his stomach as it lurched from his slight movement, he decided to ignore the missed call from Tom and the 2 calls from Babington. 

Rubbing his neck as he stood stretching his aching body, he glanced at the whiskey bottle, he had drunk far more than he had intended. No wonder his head hurt, and his stomach was rolling. He clicked on the single new message. 

Massage Girl: I have booked your next appointment as requested, please arrive promptly as lateness will result in cancellation, although you will still be charged in full. No concession this time. Thank you for your feedback, it was enlightening. In all future appointments please can I ask you to refrain from commenting/acting inappropriately, I would hate to have to withdraw my services. Thank you. See you at 6pm Friday. 

He wondered what had gotten up her nose, yes it had been embarrassing when she walked in, but it wasn’t something, he had full control of even at his age. He noticed there was a message above the one from Miss Snooty, which he, himself had sent. 

“Oh fuck, smooth Sidney smooth” 

Shaking his head at the text he’d sent, he entered his large sunlit kitchen, flicking on the kettle as he passed to reach the French windows. While listening to the screech of the kettle he thought about his behaviour over the last 36 hours, he truly hadn’t acted like his best self, what kind of impression would this woman have of him, he laughed to himself, what did it matter? She was his masseuse nothing more, he would see her for just under an hour once or twice a month and that was it. They didn’t need to like each other, as long as she kept doing the massage to the same standard as last night it didn’t matter. Moving to make his morning coffee, he realised that it did matter to him, he wanted her to like him, or at least think he was a decent person rather than the abrupt neanderthal he had shown her. 

Once showered, dressed, and fueled by coffee and a bacon sandwich, Sidney sat at his desk composing an email to his secretary. He had a vague memory of Babington suggesting he send flowers and pay for the car damage. After his shambles of a text last night, he couldn’t send flowers, but he could organise to get the cars repaired. Stringers would do it at a discount as all the Parker cars go through that garage, it would be an effective way of extending an olive branch, even if it wasn’t as personal than sending flowers. 

He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes listening to the soothing sounds of Alberto Giurioli when his phone started ringing. 

“Hey Babbers, sorry about last night. I don’t remember leaving the bar” 

“I bet you don’t, you were pretty pissed but quite amusing. No bother, your car is still outside the bar. Do you need a lift to pick it up?” 

Sidney looked at his watch, checking the time, he didn’t need the car he could take the bike, clear his head with a ride and drop the keys to Stringers at the same time. They could recover it. 

“No, it’ll be fine there. Thanks though” 

“Ok, if you’re sure. Esther told me to invite you to supper tonight, she feels sorry for you after I told her of your adventure with the new masseuse. Come over about 7pm, bring wine or Esther will be offended.” 

Babington laughed lightly down the phone, Sidney could hear his wife in the background laughing, Sidney felt a blush rise up his neck as he wondered how much Babington had told her. 

Sidney put his leathers on and grabbed his helmet, he needed to get on the open road to just concentrate on the feeling of the bike and the road as it rushed beneath him, stopping any thoughts of Tom and especially the masseuse. 

As Sidney was stood explaining to James Stringer where his car was, he saw the massage girl driving on to the fore court, her bumper missing from the front of the car but poking up, over the back seat. Stringer lifted his hand to wave at her, as Sidney looked at them both, he could tell they were already acquainted. Both had wide smiles, and he may as well not have been stood there as they greeted each other warmly. 

He felt like a fool stood with his helmet in hand watching as she gave Stringer doe eyes, her large brown eyes looking bigger than ever as she gazed up at him and Stringer lapping it up and using a softer voice than was necessary. They obviously knew each other well, Sidney wondered how they had met, she had only been in town a few weeks, Stringer must have moved fast or perhaps he was the reason she moved here, he needed to leave, he couldn’t stand watching their shared ease any longer. He cleared his throat and ran his hand through his hair, moving forward to leave, until he realised he was still holding his car keys. 

“Ah, um Stringer here’s the keys. You have my number, call me as soon as it’s done” He nodded at the girl as he passed. 

“Mr. Parker” she smiled at him timidly, acknowledging him for the first time. 

Sidney panicked he couldn’t remember her name; all he could think about was her breasts in that damn t-shirt, how her hands felt on his back and that idiotic text. Thankfully, Stringer spoke up and Sidney could make his escape. 

As he sat on his Ducati preparing to put his helmet on, placing his earphones in slowly first, he watched how easy Stringer was chatting and flirting with her and found himself wishing he could be the same way, especially with her. Sidney knew he was good looking man, between his looks and his money he’d never had any problems pulling a woman, but he’d never had an effortless way with them. Yes, he could fuck them, and he knew he did it well, but he couldn’t hold a conversation with them, even with Eliza he had struggled to be himself, he never felt he was seen for more than a handsome face and a wallet. He had a feeling this girl wouldn’t care about his money; she was successful in her own right and her beauty certainly outshone his own, his only stumbling block was how could he redeem himself in her eyes. He would never be as free and open as Stringer, you could practically see the love and lust pouring out from his eyes. Sidney found himself wishing he could be like that, especially if it meant being with her. This new thought startled him, he didn’t know where it had come from, he had resigned himself to being a bachelor, but he felt himself smiling at the thought, surprising himself.

Charlotte looked over at Sidney, in his leathers, legs astride his big black bike, she felt a stirring inside her that she hadn’t felt for a long time, she could feel a heat rising from her core spreading up her chest to her face. She desperately needed to speak to him before he left but James kept talking. She took one last look at Sidney and excused herself from James. 

She started to walk over towards him, watching him put his helmet on, she waved at him to show that she wanted his attention. Instead of stopping what he was doing as she expected he started the bike, revving the engine loudly. She jumped a little but was determined to thank him for organising the repairs, so she waved again and started talking. 

Sidney waved his hand motioning that he couldn’t hear her, he moved the bike backwards, turned it to the road and with one last look at her sped off down the coastal road away from Sanditon with the engine roaring loudly as it disappeared around the bend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the music Sidney was listening to.....Music - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5yQOMjTCMg 
> 
> And this is the bike I imagined him riding https://www.cycleworld.com/story/buyers-guide/2020-ducati-diavel-1260-1260-s/
> 
> Thank you for reading


	3. Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Monday in Sanditon, Charlotte crosses paths with Sidney once more and we meet Esther.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the all the comments, I am completely blown away by how many people are reading and commenting on my little story. Every time I get a notification for a new comment I do a little happy dance.
> 
> So sorry it took a while to get this chapter up, RL has been a bit hectic the last week.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter......

Charlotte’s cottage was on the outskirts of town, the opposite side of the beach and her massage retreat. As she entered the busier streets of the small-town center; her hair began to be blown wildly as she braced herself against the strong sea breeze, until then she had been slightly sheltered from the winter gale that was whipping up the salt from the sea and permeating the air with it. She saw James Stringer exit the coffee shop just up ahead, he waved to her and she walked towards him smiling. 

“Hello Charlotte, your car should be ready tomorrow, shall I drop it around to your house?” He smiled kindly at her, reminding her of her brother with his kind blue eyes and sandy hair. She had first met James when he came in for a massage on the second day she had opened, since then he’d been in a few times, they had also bumped into each other in the coffee shop and subsequently shared a table, discussing their days becoming friends along the way. 

“That would be great, I’ll be home from five tomorrow, I’ll cook a shepherd's pie if you’d like to stay and join me as a thank you? I can drop you either back to the garage or home then” Charlotte found the evenings long and lonely when she finished early, even with Mavis to keep her company she found she missed the conversation of a real person. 

James nodded as they finalised their arrangements, unknown to them Sidney had been watching them from across the street. He had stopped at a cash machine and had caught Charlotte in the corner of his eye. He couldn’t hear what they were saying but again he was struck by how comfortable they seemed to be together, lots of smiling and nodding going on. Sidney groaned as he took his cash, he wanted to go over to apologise for his behaviour on Saturday, but he didn’t want to do it in front of Stringer. 

Sidney walked into the local convenience store, he hated travelling by car for long distances without sweets, especially when he was driving to London, he would have preferred to go on the bike, but it wasn’t possible this time, unfortunately he had too many files to take with him. Toms car was a mess, full of sweet wrappers, empty plastic bottles and discarded toys, which didn’t help his enthusiasm for the drive. He wished he had time to get it valeted but that wasn’t an option this morning, he would certainly get it done in London before travelling back on Thursday evening. 

Wandering the aisles, he caught sight of Charlotte stood studying a packet, he took a deep breath and walked down the aisle towards her, he had a speech worked out in his head. Esther had spent a lot of time with him on Saturday evening analysing his actions and had firmly told him he needed to apologise. Sidney wasn’t impressed that Babington had told his wife every detail from their Friday night drinks. Sidney had expected some discretion on Babington's part, but he also couldn’t blame him, if he was ever lucky enough to have a wife in the future, he would want to be able to share everything with her, even if it meant embarrassing his oldest friends. She’d also drummed Charlottes name into his head, making sure he wouldn’t forget in future telling him it was unacceptable to have her stored on his phone as ‘Massage girl’. 

As he drew nearer, he lost his nerve and swerved to look at the shelf nearest him. He stood staring at the items on the shelf in front of him, while Charlotte stood just down from him. He wanted to say something funny to make her smile but was concerned the change in his behaviour might confuse her, making things worse. He sighed, he knew she was aware of him standing there, he also knew it was up to him to start the conversation. 

The silence between them was uncomfortable, he grabbed a packet of vegetable stock cubes, then went to walk past her, he misjudged it and he was closer than he had intended, his arm grazed against her back slightly. 

“Miss Heywood” 

Charlotte looked at him, “Mr. Parker” she grinned at him seeming to know how uncomfortable he felt and finding it amusing. He kept walking cursing himself for being so awkward, how could he hold meetings with a dozen or so business associates, discussing hundreds of thousands of pounds yet he couldn’t make conversation with this one woman? 

“Oh Mr. Parker” she called out his name just as he was about to leave the aisle. He turned slowly, noticing her shoes first, which happened to be a pair of knee-high leather boots, he followed them up her bare legs to her short black corduroy skirt, then up over her fitted coat which showed the shape of her breasts despite being a warm winter one, he finally reached her face to realise she had been speaking to him, he had been so distracted by her body he had neglected to pay attention to her words. 

She stood looking at him expectantly with her arm raised towards the top shelf. 

“I’m sorry, which one did you want?” He asked moving closer to her, 

“Just one of the red packets please. They seem to have gone back on the shelf a bit and well I’m just not tall enough" she lifted her one arm up while looking down her body as if to emphasis her point. He followed her vision then quickly looked up again, clearing his throat. 

“Of course,” He stepped closer again, reaching up to retrieve the packet. He lowered his arm to give her the noodles, as her hand touched his he felt tingles spread throughout his whole hand and up his arm. Their eyes locked and he found he couldn’t look away, he was drowning in her beautiful brown eyes, he felt like he could see her soul, and he wondered if she could see his. He found himself hoping she could, in that moment he knew he wanted this woman to know him. The real him, not the image he projected but the one that he kept guarded, the one which wanted to love and be loved completely, unconditionally but was too fearful of being hurt. Looking into her eyes he felt she would look after his true self and even protect it from the wolves that always seem to be knocking at his door. 

“Excuse me Love, you couldn’t pass me one of those could you?” Their moment was broken, by a high-pitched screech, Charlotte looked to the ground and stepped back, while Sidney cleared his throat, reaching up quickly then practically throwing the packet at the little old lady who had asked for it. She winked at him grinning as she put it in her trolley and strolled off towards the tills. 

“Erm thank you Mr. Parker, I’ll see you Friday. 6pm sharp” she smiled at him, turning her body slowly away from him, her eyes lingering on him before finally turning away, leaving him stood staring after her still holding the unwanted packet of stock cubes. 

He put the stock cubes back, found the items he wanted all while thinking of his moment with Charlotte, how her fingers had felt against his, how small they were and how soft, although he knew she had incredible strength in them if his massage was anything to go by. 

As he exited the store, he saw Stringer stood by the entrance holding Charlottes dog. As he nodded at Stringer the dog jumped up against his leg, so he bent down to stroke her, she reminded him of his childhood dog, who had always been eager for attention. 

Straightening up he eyed Stringer, who did the same back. 

“Mr. Parker your car will be ready tomorrow, I’ll drop it to the office unless you want to collect it yourself?” 

“Thank you, I’m out of town until late Thursday, if you take it to the office Sandra will arrange the payment for both mine and Miss Heywood's cars.” 

“Right, you are.” They nodded at each other before Sidney left. He could never put his finger on the reason why but ever since they were boys, he had always wanted to punch Stringer and that urge had never been stronger than it was today as he stood there smugly holding Charlotte’s dog. 

James walked Charlotte to her retreat, carrying her shopping bags while she jostled Mavis in her arms. After confirming their plans again for the next evening Charlotte set about her morning routine. Kettle on, heaters on, checking for messages from clients. 

Scrolling through her messages she came across Sidney Parkers message from the weekend, she still couldn’t understand why he had been so preoccupied with her age and her clothes. Coming to the end of the text she noticed the ‘x’ for the first time. This really threw her, why would he put a ‘x’ at the end of a text, was it something he did with everyone? It must be, there couldn’t be any other reason could there? 

Charlotte stood chewing her thumb, staring at the text thinking over her brief encounters with him. Friday hadn’t started well, but the massage eventually went well only to end awkwardly. She felt heat rise in her cheeks as she remembered his grin as he saw her ogling him, she had been stunned to see him sat there with an erection, it wasn’t something that happened often and she wasn’t sure how to deal with it in a professional way, if in a private compacity some ideas had swirled in her mind of how she could have helped him. 

Then there was his strange behaviour at the garage, she’d seen him watching her talking to James, but when she’d approached him, he avoided her, rudely leaving her standing there. Had he really been that embarrassed by what had happened in the night before? He hadn’t seemed to be, he had seemed more annoyed at her than anything else. 

Why had he arranged her car repairs and paid for them when the accident was completely her fault? Charlotte couldn’t work him out especially as she started to think about their meeting this morning. 

She had felt something shift between them, almost a friendly flirt, but no that couldn’t really be what had happened, she was just imagining it, a handsome man like Sidney Parker was bound to get anyone's heart racing, he probably had hundreds of women on standby, the ’x’ was purely a slip of the thumb. 

She had so many questions swirling around her head she hadn’t heard the door open and her first client calling out to her. The first she became aware of someone stood next to her was when they spoke. 

“That is a rather interesting text from Mr. Parker. What on earth was his meaning?” Esther purred slowly making Charlotte jump forward shutting down her phone at the same time. 

Charlotte put her hand on her chest and she could feel her heart beating wildy, not greeting a client properly wasn't the best start but to be caught staring at another clients text, was on another level of unprofessional. Especially as it seemed Esther had managed to read it before she'd made herself known. Charlotte felt herself blush all the more as she realised Esther had seen all of Sidney's criticisms of her.

“Oh Mrs. Babington, you made me jump. I didn’t hear you come in.” Charlotte moved back towards the door in a bid to get Esther back into the waiting room and away from where she had been caught staring at Sidney's text. 

“Yes, sorry about that, but if you will daydream over a text these things will happen.” Esther smiled at her slowly, taking her in, she could see what he meant by her being young, she did look like she had just walked out of the school yard. Esther swept her eyes over Charlotte from head to toe as she moved confidently around the massage room lighting various candles and incense sticks. She wasn’t his usual type, the complete opposite in fact. Her hair was wildly beautiful, her clothes relaxed, slightly bohemian, her face free of make – up yet there was something alluring about Miss Charlotte Heywood, something in her eyes that told Esther she wasn’t as inexperienced at life as Sidney seemed to think she was. Esther knew she was going to enjoy watching these two get together, she knew it would happen, Sidney just needed a little help. And that is where she came in and why she was here today. 

Charlotte lit the last candle in the room, she turned to face Esther taking a deep breath as she did, for some reason she felt as though she was at a job interview. Esther was a quiet yet formidable presence in the room and Charlotte felt a little intimidated. As Charlotte stepped closer to the massage table, she squared her shoulders, deciding to take charge of the situation. 

“So, Mrs. Babington, welcome to Retreat and Rest as you know I’m Charlotte, I have a few questions to ask before we can begin. After that, I’ll leave you to get settled on the table, face in the hole, just pull the blanket up to your shoulders. Then relax while you wait for me to return.” 

Esther nodded taking all the information in, then answering the questions as needed. She could see that the girl was nervous, but so far, she had no reason to be, apart from the Mrs. Babington business, she wouldn’t tell her it was Lady Babington, she didn’t want to make her more nervous, but she needed to put a stop to it and make her call her Esther. So droll to be called Mrs. or Lady Babington all the time. 

The massage went well, Charlotte could tell Esther had been pleased with it by the noises she had made throughout. She only had a small handful of clients who were noise makers, she would just add Esther to this group and be more prepared for it next time as it tended to make her giggle if she wasn’t fully prepared. 

“Charlotte, what time is your next client?” Esther was dressed and stood near the door to leave, looking at her watch. 

“Erm not for another 2 hours. Is there something I can help you with Mrs. Babington?” 

“Yes, call me Esther please, Mrs. Babington makes me feel old. Other than that, I would like you to join me for an early lunch. I find I get tired of my own company sometimes, we can get to know each other, and I can tell you all about the town and its occupants.” 

Charlotte opened her mouth to decline, she had some paperwork to catch up on and her noodles were in her bag ready to be enjoyed. 

“Get your shoes on. You can bring your dog; the restaurant won’t mind if you’re with me. I’ll wait in the car.” With that Esther opened the door and walked out into the street, her beautiful fiery red hair swept up immediately by the wind. 

They drove to the Parker hotel and were shown to a table by the window straight away. 

“Order what you like, this is on me. I’m so glad you joined me, the women around here are all either a little old or stuffy, especially if my aunt is about. Have you met Lady Denham yet?” Charlotte shook her head in the negative. “Oh, I’m sure you will soon. She’s a little opinionated and old fashioned in her views but if you don’t mind that she’s a sweetheart.” 

After placing their orders Charlotte looked out of the window at the view over the beach, the resort was very well situated here. 

“So, Charlotte, tell me about you and Sidney” Esther instructed casually as Charlotte almost spat her drink out. 

“There isn’t anything to tell. I hit his car, he organised for the repairs and that’s it” Charlotte continued to look out of the window, avoiding eye contact with Esther as she could feel herself blushing. 

“Oh, I know you’ve had more interaction than that, Sidney and my husband are great friends, have been since they were at university. I have known of Sidney for a long time but it’s only since I married Babington that I have gotten to know him properly. He’s a little difficult at first but if you stick with him, he’s much easier to manage.” 

Charlotte looked at Esther sharply, “I’m not entirely sure what you mean, but I am definitely not looking to manage Mr. Parker or anyone else. I can't really talk about clients I’m sorry.” 

“That’s ok, it’s no bother. So, tell me what brought you to Sanditon? It is a bit of a dreary place but has its good points. Are you planning to stay long?” 

Charlotte told Esther about how she had completed her studies in Brighton but had returned to her parents' farm in Willingden afterwards due to the cost of living and student debt. Once back in the countryside she found she missed the sea and an internet search for shop premises had led her to Sanditon. 

“I am hoping to stay forever, I love the town and the beach, it all depends on how well my business does. If it fails, I’ll have to go back to Willingden and work on the farm.” 

Throughout the lunch Esther continued to ask Charlotte questions, about her life in Willingden, if she had a boyfriend or significant other, how old she was among many other personal questions. Charlotte did manage to turn the conversation a little to focus on Esther, but the other lady was much more skilled at steering the conversation than Charlotte was and by the end of the meal she had told her everything about herself right down to her shoe size, while Charlotte only had a small bit of knowledge about Esther. 

“I’ll drop you back to the retreat now Charlotte, I need to get to the hairdressers before meeting my husband this evening. We have some sort of function to attend, which will be utterly tedious. Let's meet up again for lunch soon, I could do with a good friend and I suspect you could too.” 

“Yes, I would like that, but next time I’ll pay.” 

“If you insist.” Esther rolled her eyes but smiled at Charlotte. 

They waved to each other as Charlotte walked into the retreat. Charlotte leaned against the door thinking about her eventful morning and how she felt that she had been on the friendliest interview she’d ever had.


	4. Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see a little bit of Sidney in his work environment, while Charlotte has a surprise or two.

Sat in his London office, waiting for the video call to connect with Babington Sidney sipped his coffee and looked out of the window at the view of the Thames. He usually enjoyed being in the city, the anonymity of it, no one knew him, and no one wanted anything from him, but although the opposite was true in Sanditon, he found he was eager to return. He was looking forward to his massage, he wanted to speak to Charlotte, to explain his actions and to walk by the sea perhaps even with Charlotte. He just needed to come up with what to say so he wouldn’t look like a bumbling idiot, he also needed to steady his nerves about asking her to spend some time with him outside of the massage room. 

The call connected and Babington came into view, he was still at home, Sidney could see the familiar bookcase behind Babington in his home office. 

“Morning Sidney, how is London today? I bet you are glad to back there, away from Tom and Sanditon.” 

“Funny you should say that I was just contemplating trying to return earlier than planned this week, I’m missing the sea bathing and the bracing sea breeze. Tom I could do without, as we all could, but I do find I am missing the place this week” 

“See I told you Dan! He’s smitten with her and misses her after just a handful of meetings.” Esther came into view next to Babington making Sidney jump a little, spilling a bit of coffee on his grey trousers. 

“Shit, Esther don’t do that. I have no idea what you mean or who you mean for that matter. I was merely talking about going for a walk and a swim.” Sidney was rubbing frantically at his trouser leg with a tissue trying to do something with the coffee stain, although failing miserably. 

“Sidney stop that, it looks quite undignified from this angle” Esther scolded while Babington laughed. “You need to concentrate and listen to what I am telling you. Miss Heywood, Charlotte, is single you need to make your move and soon. I had lunch with her yesterday after my massage and I approve whole heartedly of you courting her. She’ll be a fantastic addition to our group, especially at the boring functions you make me attend with you both, where all you talk about is business or bikes or both” Esther rolled her eyes as she finished speaking. 

“Esther, you know I love you, but you are way off the mark here, I am not interested in ‘courting’ Charlotte, who uses that word anyway?” He lifted his hands to do air quotes to emphasize his point about the ridiculousness of the word. “I won’t be making a move just because you say I should. Babington, really? This is meant to be a business call; can’t you keep your wife in the kitchen?” Sidney laughed as Esther poked her tongue out at him. 

When they had been at school together, they hadn’t ever mixed, Esther had her group of girl friends who sat on the side of the playing field watching the boys run about with a rugby ball or while they played cricket. They’d had a few classes together but no real need to interact. Then one weekend 5 years ago, Babington had come to Sanditon with Sidney to help him reign Tom back. They were sat in the only decent pub in the town unwinding after a stressful afternoon when Esther had walked in. Babington had fallen head over heels in love at first sight, even after Esther rejected him, quite brutally in front of her friends, he didn’t lose heart. He was prepared to play the long game, gaining her trust slowly over many weekends, showing her what a good man he was and still is. Six months later they were married and hadn’t looked back since. 

If Sidney was honest, he was envious of his best friend, sharing his life with someone and as much as he wanted to open himself up to the possibility of dating Charlotte, after his experience with Eliza he was scared. Scared of having his heart broken, scared of being trapped again like he was with her. The divorce took much longer than it should have, he lost far more than just houses, money and cars, he lost his faith in women and in love. She had been vindictive in her actions throughout the divorce. Repeatedly telling Sidney if she couldn’t have him, she would have everything he owned, it was her warped way of trying to get him to stay. Eliza had always loved possessions more than people, and she had obviously thought he was the same. Perhaps he had been once upon a time but during their marriage he had felt increasingly lonely and even desperate for more than what their marriage had been able to give him. The final straw came when she suggested they have a baby, Sidney realised he couldn’t think of anything worse, to bring a child into their toxic relationship would have been wrong, plus it would have meant sharing the marital bed again, which had ceased several months before and the thought made him shudder. A month later he had already moved out and started divorce proceedings. 

“Sidney focus, now when are you back in Sanditon? You need a plan, and I know if I leave it up to you it’ll never happen.” 

“Esther, please, you know I’m not dating at the moment. Do I need to remind you of the disaster that was my last relationship?” Sidney sighed, sipping from his coffee hoping that would put an end to Esthers matchmaking. He knew he wanted to get to know Charlotte, but he wanted to do it on his terms, and to allow Charlotte to decide if she wanted to spend time with him, rather than Esther forcing things. 

“Sidney don’t be a fool, Charlotte is not Eliza, she is the complete opposite in every way, and you know it! Fine, I won’t interfere anymore other than to tell you I saw her staring at your awful text and that she’s having dinner with James Stringer tonight.” With that Esther disappeared from the screen. 

“Ok, what the hell am I supposed to do with that information? It doesn’t change anything does it? I’m still not interested. Now can we get back to the reason this call was set up, please?” Sidney was frustrated, he didn’t like so many people being involved in his private life, especially as he knew Esther wouldn’t give up easily. 

“Sorry Sidney, but you know she has a point, well several actually, you are attracted to her, you do need to do something about it, and she isn’t Eliza. From what Esther has said Charlotte is vastly different from her. For one thing Esther actually likes her! But you are right let us get to the point of the call, Tom and what are we going to do about him?” 

They talked at length about Tom’s plans, what was realistic and what was most definitely only possible in the fantasy of Tom’s mind. Five years ago when they had lost a significant investment from the hotel, Tom had taken out a few loans and over stretched the finances of the resort. Thankfully under the guidance of Babington they had managed to sell some of the more secluded self-catering cottages and had paid the debts off in full. Since then, Sidney and Babington had made several changes which meant the resort had flourished. The major change was that Tom had to go through Sidney for financial approval, it made sense, Sidney was already immersed in the financial world so had a better understanding of the risks and returns. Unfortunately, Tom didn’t always see the sense and would often bombard Sidney with ideas for events and upgrades, like this one. What they really needed was to find something to distract Tom from trying to extend the main building of the hotel. 

“Could we get him to organise a full New Year's Eve ball, live music, 3 course meal etc.?” Sidney suggested. 

“Would we sell enough tickets in the time we have? It’s the 10th December already after all.” 

“I think we could, especially if we used some of our contacts and your name. Everyone wants to spend time with a Lord after all. Plus, we haven’t really got anything organised for the festive period except for the Christmas day meal. As you know Clara left just as the usual planning would have started and we haven’t found anyone to replace her. Perhaps if we give Tom a budget, a smaller one than what we’re happy to spend, so when he inevitably goes over it, we shouldn’t be too out of pocket.” 

After a bit more cajoling from Sidney they finally decided this was the best course of action and would pitch the idea to Tom on Friday when Sidney was back in Sanditon. After chatting a few more minutes they hung up. 

Sidney sat back thinking about what Esther had said about Charlotte having dinner with Stringer, was he already too late? Stringer certainly seemed confident if yesterday was anything to go by. Yet if Charlotte was with Stringer would she have looked at him the way she did in the convenience store? Sidney decided he needed to act, the question was how, it had been a long time since he had dated. Sighing he rubbed his trouser leg once more annoyed at the now dry stain. 

Charlotte was walking along the shoreline while Mavis dashed in and out of the water, she had 45 minutes until her next client and had decided they needed some air, the reality was she needed a distraction from reading Sidney Parkers text, it was a good thing he didn’t get notified every time she read it, he would think she was a stalker. She was obsessing over the ‘x’ and their meeting in the shop. His touch had sent an electric shock up her arm, the way he looked at her had made her want to fidget, she was sure he could see everything she was thinking, even thinking about it now made her blush. 

As she was looking at the text again, a new one from Esther arrived, inviting her for drinks on Friday evening, at 8pm. Charlotte had really enjoyed her lunch with Esther, even though she was incredibly nosey Charlotte had felt comfortable in divulging the information she had been asked for. Working out the logistics for the evening Charlotte accepted the invitation, pocketed her phone, and ran after Mavis. 

Locking the door after her last client Charlotte prepared herself and Mavis to leave for home, James would be there in just over an hour. She would be grateful to have his company for an hour or two and to also have her car back. The supermarket shop needed to be done, and she didn’t want to order it online as it was an excuse to browse the aisles. 

Zipping her coat up she heard a knocking at the door, opening it to a bike courier who handed her a parcel. Surprised she decided to open it then and there. Inside the plain brown box was a smaller box which had been wrapped in the most beautiful tissue paper, it had delicate flowers printed on it and was lightly scented, she couldn’t make out the scent as it was so subtle, but it was there none the less. As she carefully unwrapped it, trying not to rip the paper a few small dried petals fell out. Bending down to scoop them up she placed them carefully back in the brown box along with the paper. In her hand she was holding a white box with pink ranunculi flowers printed on it, opening the box revealed four different fabrics, which looked to her like socks. Pulling one of them out confirmed she had been sent beautiful socks made from organic bamboo, two pairs had delicate flowers like the ones on the box, one was striped, and the last pair were plain but were a deep pink colour with navy toes and heels. 

Turning her attention back to the box to look for a card, or some indication of who they were from, Charlotte found a small card at the bottom which simply said, “To mix and match as you wish xx” It had been handwritten, she wondered if it had been written by the assistant or the sender. She ran her fingertip over it, tracing the shape of the words, smiling to herself. She couldn’t be certain who the sender was but the only person who had commented on her mismatched socks other than her mum was Sidney Parker, her mum wouldn’t have sent such luxurious socks, so she knew it wasn’t her, it had to be Sidney. Why would he send her a gift? What did he mean by it? He certainly was a conundrum. With a large grin she carefully placed the socks back into box, Charlotte called Mavis to her and left for home. 

James arrived an hour later, just as Charlotte was putting the shepherd's pie in the oven for the cheese to melt. They fell into easy conversation about how their days had gone and what plans they had for the rest of the week. Charlotte moved around the kitchen collecting glasses, cutlery, and plates, placing them on the table in front of James as he talked about his plans for Friday night. 

“Why don’t you come to the pub with us? There will be a few of us, not just men a few people will be bringing their girlfriends or wives. Fred, from the garage is bringing his girlfriend, I think you’d get on well with her, she works in the café in town.” 

Charlotte sat down opposite James, placing the hot shepherd's pie in the centre next to the bowl of extra peas and carrots. She looked at James, he was staring back at her with an intensity that made her a little uncomfortable, she shifted in her seat, fiddling with her knife and fork. 

“Oh, erm that would have been great, I’m always happy to meet new people, but I already have plans. I’m sorry. I made them earlier today.” Charlotte began dishing up the food in an attempt to draw James' attention away from staring at her. 

James cleared his throat, “No problem, maybe next time. Where’s Mavis?” he was obviously trying to change the subject. 

Charlotte called Mavis into the room; she had been asleep on the sofa. James stayed a while longer, enjoying an episode of Goggle Box, keeping Charlotte entertained with his own commentary. 

Yawning Charlotte stood up taking her mug back into the kitchen ”Is it ok if I drop you back now? Sorry James I’m a bit tired, the retreat was really busy today.” 

“There’s no need Charlotte, I can walk, Fred is going to pick me up in the morning. It’ll save you coming out in the cold.” He smiled kindly at her, sweeping his eyes over her as she yawned again “Do you want me to take Mavis for a quick walk before I go?” 

“Oh, there’s no need, I’ll take her now” Charlotte clipped the lead on Mavis, slipping her boots and coat on ready to leave. 

“Then I will walk with you. It’s late you shouldn’t be out be yourself now” James went down the path and opened the gate, turning back to her with a smile he moved his arm in a flourish as though bowing to her and helping her through the open gate while he held it open. She laughed as she walked past him. 

“Why thank you kind sir” They walked along in silence, it was cold, and Charlotte could see her breath in the light of the moon and the torch she was carrying. Suddenly James stopped, he turned to Charlotte, holding on to her elbow he gently turned her to him, they were stood quite close together due to following the torch light while they had been walking. She looked up at him and saw him moving his eyes between her own eyes and her mouth, his head slowly moving forward. 

Charlotte didn’t know what to do, she had thought they were friends and hadn’t wanted to lead him on, maybe inviting him for dinner had been a mistake, she didn’t realise he was harbouring more feelings than friendship. She started to panic as James leaned in ever closer, luckily Mavis tugged hard on the lead and Charlotte was pulled away from him abruptly. 

She heard him exhale loudly, she kept her eyes down as she followed Mavis, once she felt she was at a safe distance she stopped and turned to James. Looking at him she could see he was a very handsome man, he had broad shoulders, strong arms, and thighs, he was certainly kind and funny, but he just wasn't for her. She didn’t feel any excitement, any butterflies in her stomach when she thought of him. She felt safe and listened to, but there wasn’t any passion for him. When she looked at him, she didn’t want to kiss him, or to touch him. The few times when she had massaged him, she hadn’t felt anything, her mind just ran through the massage as it always did, she could see he looked after himself, but she didn’t fantasize about him afterwards or imagine herself running her hands over the rest of him. She sighed and pulled on Mavis’ lead gently, walking back towards James who hadn’t moved from the spot she’d left him. 

“Good night James, thank you for a lovely evening.” She looked up at him and touched his elbow gently as she walked past him and back to her cottage. Charlotte didn’t look back; she didn’t want to give him any false hope that anything other than friendship could happen between them. She knew her heart was on its way to being lost to someone else. 

Lying in bed Charlotte was staring out of the window at the dark countryside which spread out behind her house. She had her phone next to her on the bed and she was tapping her fingernail lightly on the screen, enjoying the rhythmic sound as she thought about whether to send the message or not. The card wasn’t signed with his name, but the more she thought about it the more she thought it had to be him. Perhaps he didn’t want her to know it was him she reasoned but then why include the card with the mix and match comment, he must have known she would work it out. She smiled as she looked over to her chest of drawers where she knew the beautiful box sat holding the soft socks, the card was next to her on the bedside table. Charlotte wondered if he had chosen them himself or if he had sent an assistant to get them. 

Unlocking her phone, she typed out a message, then quickly deleted most of it. She didn’t want to waffle, she wanted to let him know she appreciated the socks not bore him after all. 

In the end her text simply read: 

“Thank you, they will certainly keep my feet warm” 

A reply came back almost instantly: 

“You’re welcome x” 

Quickly followed by, 

“I saw them and thought of you x” 

Charlotte fell asleep smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all the amazing comments, I love reading them all and they really do mean a lot.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I will try to update as often as I can, RL can sometimes get in the way and cause delays unfortunately.
> 
> Keep well everyone and thanks so very much for reading x


	5. Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Friday
> 
> Sidney has a meeting with Tom and is booked in for a massage
> 
> Charlotte is looking forward to her evening with Esther

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for all the kudos and the fantastic comments. Reading them really makes my day, I still can't believe anyone is reading this but I am truly grateful that you are and especially grateful for your encouraging comments.
> 
> Happy reading

Yawning Charlotte rolled over in bed, she smiled to herself, today was Friday. She had no appointments booked for the next day, and she was looking forward to a lie in then a long walk on the beach as the weather was promised to be a fine crisp day. 

She also found she was looking forward to seeing Sidney, she had kept looking at his text, “I saw them and thought of you x” she knew it off by heart but still looked at it daily, who was she kidding it was an hourly thing. Her finger had hovered over the reply button so many times since Tuesday evening, but she didn’t know what to say. Only 11 hours and he would be at the Retreat, not that she was counting but she knew it might be a long day until he walked through the door. She had nervous but excited butterflies in her stomach. She had selected the socks with the ranunculi flowers on, she had kept them in their pairs, the unmatched socks happened as she puts the first ones on that she grabs out of the wash basket, Charlotte didn’t believe in wasting time matching socks. 

Charlotte looked at her clothes hanging up ready for her evening with Esther, she had decided to get ready at the Retreat so she could walk to the wine bar that Esther had chosen. Mavis was spending the day with her neighbour that lived a 5-minute walk away on her way into work. She would pick her up either on her way home or in the morning. She would miss her little dog today, but it was safer for her to be with Mrs. Barnes while she was out in the evening. 

As Sidney drove passed the Retreat, he looked in through the large store window, he could see Stringer stood talking to Charlotte, he pulled her close into a hug. “Damn it” Sidney hit the steering wheel with his hand, obviously his present hadn’t had the desired effect and he was too late. Stringer had already won her heart. If having a meeting scheduled with Tom wasn’t enough to make Sidney grumpy this had caused his mood to darken. 

Babington was already sat in the conference room when Sidney entered, his eyes dark and his brow furrowed in frustration. 

“Afternoon Sidney, everything ok? Hopefully, this meeting won’t take too long. Either Tom agrees to our terms or he doesn’t. I have managed to talk to the banks we deal with and they know not to lend Tom any money against the business. Beryl Denham likes the idea of a New Year's Ball, she’s said she’ll buy 10 tickets, something to do with the ladies in her bridge group or something.” Babington sipped his water, watching Sidney closely. 

Sidney looked up as he set the files he was carrying on the table, then moved over to the tray holding the coffee that had been set up in the corner. “That’s a good start. I need this meeting wrapped up by 5:30, I have somewhere to be and I can’t be late. As you say Tom either accepts or he doesn’t, to be honest I really do not care right now, how he feels about it.” 

“What’s happened? Your mood has certainly changed since we met for breakfast.” 

“Oh, it’s nothing, just Tom. You know how difficult he can be, it’s been a long week. Not helped by Esther constantly sending me texts about my apparent lack of dating prowess. Can you speak to her? Ask her to back off, Miss Heywood is with Stringer. Game over.” Sidney shrugged as he sat down, shuffling papers trying to hide the disappointment he knew would be written all over his face. 

“Are you sure? From what Esther says that’s not the case. Speaking of Esther, she’s out tonight with her gal pals, shall we meet for some drinks, say 8pm at the club?” 

Sidney took a deep breath, he could do with a drink, well a few drinks. This week really hadn’t gone as planned and as much as he needed a massage, he was now dreading it. 

“Sidney, nice to see you back. Time to do some proper work now you’re here. I hope you’re prepared for it.” Tom flounced in with his usual flamboyant flare, taking his seat at the head of the table. 

Babington cleared his throat, trying to break the tension of the two brothers as they stared at each other. Tom grinning ecstatically while Sidney sat clenching his jaw, the muscle in his cheek flexing. “Right Tom we’re just going to get straight to the point. We won’t be funding an extension or any refurbishments. The décor is fine as it is. It was only done 2 years ago after all.” 

“Babington, you’ve seen the projections...” Tom trailed off as Babington lifted his hand, silencing him. 

“Tom, the pool barely gets used, the sea is right there!” Sidney pointed exasperatedly towards the window. “We don’t feel there’s any point adding more spa treatments, they are available in town, we don’t want to take business away from the locals. So that means there’s no need for an extension either. Babington and I are in agreement with this. It’s not going to happen” 

“Sidney, Babington, you can’t be serious, are you sure you have looked at the figures correctly?” Tom was now leaning forward looking between the two other men. Sidney could feel his temper rising, how could Tom continue to question him on the figures, his day job was in figures and finance! 

The conversation went around in circles for a long time, both Sidney and Babington tried to explain to Tom the reasons behind their decision. At one-point Tom became more animated about his side of the conversation as was the usual way, he was hoping his excitement for the extension would rub off on them and they would change their mind, but it wasn’t going to work this time. Babington and Sidney had prepared for this barrage of excitement and just let Tom wear himself out. 

Sidney looked at his watch, “Shit, we need to wrap this up. Tom you need to listen now, we are not going to sign off on the plans for an extension or the refurb, we do have a proposal for you though! Babington can you tell him, I need to step out a minute.” 

Babington nodded as Sidney was already leaving the room. As much as he hadn’t wanted to be confronted by Charlotte dating Stringer, he had been looking forward to the massage, his aching shoulders needed her touch. 

It was 5:50pm when the text came through, Charlotte had been mindlessly scrolling through twitter. She clicked on it immediately when she saw Sidney's name. 

Sidney Parker: “Hi, I’m sorry I am going to be late for my appointment. I am finishing a meeting as I type this, but I won’t make it until around 6:15pm so need to cancel. I will pay for the appointment regardless. I will be in touch to book another time. Very sorry xx” 

Replying quickly before she could change her mind, she then set about getting changed. 

Sidney smiled as he read the text, he didn’t see Babington watching him as Tom was now walking around the room talking about decorations for the ball, Sidney assumed Babington would be watching him. 

Massage Girl: “Be here by 6:30pm and I will still see you x” 

“Right Tom that all sounds great, get the tickets printed ASAP, start the advertising, social media as well as fliers for around town. Most importantly stick to the budget.” Sidney stood up distractedly gathering up his papers “I’ll see you at 8pm Babington, in the club. I have somewhere I need to be. He looked at his phone again and smiled that was the first ‘x’ she had replied with, he felt it had to mean something especially as she was willing to allow him to arrive late. 

As all the other shops on the street had closed Sidney was able to park outside the Retreat with ease, he couldn’t see her in the window and thankfully there was no sign of Stringer either. 

Pushing the door open he was greeted with the sounds of Alberto Giurioli and the smell of the aromatherapy oils and candles. Sidney instantly relaxed, this was his favourite music to listen to when he was stressed, and whatever the candles were they were already working. He really didn’t know how much more of Tom he could take. 

He called out to Charlotte to let her know he was there, there was no response. He walked towards the office/kitchen area where she had come from the week before, there was no sign of her little dog to greet him as he reached the doorway. Instead, he saw Charlotte stood with her back to him looking at her phone. He took her in, he was mesmerized, she was wearing a fitted pair of slim leg black jeans that stopped at her slender ankle, dragging his eyes back up her legs he took in her rounded hips and perfect pert bottom, his eyes reached her back, and he almost gasped. She was wearing a fitted black jumper that had a deep V in the back, showing her perfect creamy skin, her hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail and it fell forward over her shoulder in a messy wave. Her figure was perfectly hugged in her outfit and he had never been so turned on by seeing the skin on someones back before. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he knew that wasn’t appropriate, stopping himself at the last minute, he thrust his hands in to his trouser pockets, trying to hide the growing bulge. He really couldn’t believe how his body reacted to her, for such a simple outfit it was having a profound effect on him. 

“Uh hum. Hi Charlotte” He saw her jump at the sound of his voice, she turned around and smiled at him. He couldn’t help but smile back, she looked pleased to see him and in turn that made his heart swell, acknowledging that he was happy to see her. 

“Hi, you made it, great. Let's get started straight away. Follow me.” 

She walked towards him and stepped passed him through the doorway, he caught a hint of her scent as she did, subtle not overpowering but completely feminine and alluring. He followed her to the massage room, letting his eyes rest on her bum as she walked. He swallowed deeply, he needed to get himself under control. He lifted his eyes and tried reciting his multiplication tables, it had always worked when he was a teenager and had this problem. Numbers had always soothed him, but they weren’t working this time. 

“Ok Mr. Parker, erm same as last time, a few questions and then I’ll leave you to get changed and on to the table. Don’t forget to put the blanket over you once you’re lying down.” Charlotte then proceeded with the usual questions and left the room. 

Sidney breathed out heavily, looking up to the ceiling. Getting changed and on to the table he continued to recite his times tables, slowly feeling himself relax as the soft sounds of the music trickled into his brain as well as the numbers. 

By the time Charlotte reentered the room he was in a relaxed state, breathing deeply and eyes closed. He felt her touch his feet through the blanket, applying pressure to them, slowly moving up his legs, then pressure to his hip as she pushed his body into alignment. Her hands were on his back now, the blanket still between them but he could feel the heat of her hands through it. 

As her hands slipped on to his head, he opened his eyes, he wanted to see if she was wearing the socks, he sent her. As her fingertips increased the pressure on his head, moving his hair around his breath hitched, her feet were bare. She had a soft pink colour painted on her manicured toenails, on her left foot she had a flower tattoo that started at her toes and trailed up her foot and under the hem of her trousers. His mind wandered to where that tattoo might lead to, how far up her leg did it go? He felt his cock twitching as he thought about the skin on her back and the tattoo on her foot, did she have any others? And if she did where were they? 

The numbers he had been reciting deserted him, all he could think about was undressing her slowly, pulling the jumper down from the neck and laying kisses on her exposed shoulder, then slowly pulling her trousers off to see where the tattoo led. 

He groaned unintentionally as his cock hardened uncomfortably under his weight. He felt Charlottes fingers pause momentarily at the sound and he cringed inwardly. When had a massage become a form of torture he wondered as her fingers started to move slowly again. 

Charlotte pulled the blanket back and couldn’t help herself sighing as she exposed his broad shoulders, his back really was beautiful. She resisted the urge to use her nails as she ran her fingertips down his back, quickly applying pressure as she did so to make it feel like it was part of the massage. She had never forgotten herself in a massage before, never had she touched a client purely for the thrill of it. She shook her head and recalled the massage she had planned, taking a deep breath she went back to his shoulders, massaging from his neck and across his left shoulder. Loosening the knots, she felt as she went, she then moved to his right shoulder. 

She could feel her cheeks heat up as she slipped her fingers into the waist band of his tight black boxers to slip them down so she could reach his glutes more easily. They hadn’t warned her about this at college, with her face burning from the memories of her fantasies filling her head she tried to concentrate, but if she was honest, she was struggling. She finished the massage with one last look before replacing her hands with the fabric of his pants. Moving her hands along his legs which had just the right amount of hair on, she felt herself thinking about his feet, surely, they would be ugly, something had to be, but as she reached the soles of his feet, she saw that not even those were ugly or off putting. 

Once again Charlotte used the hot stones on Sidney, as much as she had struggled to remember the strokes, she usually used in a full body massage she found she did not want to cover up this gorgeous back in front of her, she found she just did not want to take her hands off him. 

When she knew she had to stop, Charlotte reluctantly pulled the blanket up slowly as though saying goodbye to the golden skin and sculpted muscles. 

“There we are Mr. Parker all done; how do you feel?” Charlotte said her voice barely above a whisper, she didn’t want to break the relaxed spell she had been weaving. Sidney's muscles had been wound tight with tension, he had needed the massage tonight and she was glad she had waited for him. 

“Fantastic, thank you Charlotte” Sidney’s voice was a hoarse whisper, he had completely lost himself in the rhythmic movements of her hands and once he had managed to stop his mind from wandering, he had fully relaxed, letting the tension leave his aching muscles. 

“That’s great, I have left a glass of water on the table there for you, so when you’re ready come on out.” Charlotte had thought she would spare them both the embarrassment of her entering the room too soon again. 

Sidney joined Charlotte in the waiting room, he looked at his watch and realised it was almost time to meet Babington, he had made her late again. 

“Can I give you a lift somewhere Charlotte? I have made you late” He said as he slipped his coat on, the street was empty apart from the odd dog walker. 

“That’s fine, it's no problem, thank you for letting me know you were going to be late. I’m meeting a friend in town, so no need for a lift thanks though” She looked at him shyly, wishing she wasn’t meeting Esther now and suggesting they had to drive to Lands' End or somewhere in Scotland just so she wouldn’t have to leave his company so soon. 

“Ah that explains your outfit.” He swept his eyes over her as he said it lingering on her breasts, he noticed a blush appear on her cheeks, he smiled at her “Urm, I have a stressful few weeks coming up, I wondered if I could book this slot every week until after New Year” 

“I know next week is available, but would you mind if I let you know? I’m sorry I know it's not very professional, but I have to be across town by 8, and I still need to get ready.” She was flustered, she wasn’t sure she could put herself through this on a weekly basis, but she also found that she wanted to try, she wanted the opportunity to touch and caress his skin even if it was only in a professional capacity. She needed to pull herself together, she was already dreading his feedback text. 

“Yes, of course. I’m sorry. I’ll, erm I need to pay.” 

They moved to the card machine, she wrote his name in the book for the following week, handing him the appointment card as he put his bank card away. She smiled at him, not able to take her eyes away from his deep soul-searching eyes, that told a story she was interested to read. 

“Well then. I’d better leave.” He pulled his eyes from her and reached for the door. “Enjoy your evening Charlotte” He said over his shoulder as he left. 

Sidney didn’t have time to head home to change, but he did have time to go to Trafalgar House, he could change there then walk to the club to meet Babington. He knew Mary wouldn’t mind and would keep Tom from pestering him any further about today's meeting. He really didn’t want to undo all the work that Charlotte had just done. 

He let himself in through the back door, stuck his head into the living room to greet Mary who jumped up from the sofa to give him a hug. He loved seeing Mary and the children, they were the best reason to come to Trafalgar House, if he could just avoid Tom it would be all the better. 

“Tom isn’t here Sidney, he’s out with Arthur. They will be back soon. Can I get you a cup of tea, or a glass of wine perhaps?” Mary moved towards the kitchen. 

“No thanks Mary, I’ve just stopped by to get changed if that’s ok? I’m meeting Babington for a few drinks.” He motioned to the stairs, to show he wanted to use the spare room. 

“Of course, help yourself. Feel free to stay here tonight as well, saves a taxi to your house.” Mary settled back on the sofa, a glass of wine in one hand and the remote in the other. 

He explained his plan of leaving the car at her house, then visiting the children tomorrow, to take them on the beach. After chatting with Mary, he went upstairs to change his clothes. He poked his head into the girl's bedroom, they were fast asleep as were James and Henry in their room. He loved being an uncle and always felt frustrated at the way Tom tried to avoid his children at all costs. Thank goodness the children had their Uncle Arthur here full time to provide another male figure in their lives, as Tom was often so absent even when in the room. 

Esther waved at Charlotte as she entered the wine bar, she as sat at a high table with stools next to the window, but with a good view of the stage and the bar. Esther was taken aback by Charlottes look, she was naturally beautiful but with her dark hair pulled up and back it elongated her neck, her eyes had been made up with a smoky brown palette while the rest of her make up looked very natural but expertly done. Her simple black outfit was stunning especially with her high heels that had a slightly quirky edge to them making her legs seem that much longer. Charlotte offered to go to the bar to get some drinks, Esther told her she would keep the table while she ordered. 

As Charlotte walked away, Esther picked up her phone, glancing up at Charlotte’s retreating back, and she knew hers and Babington's plan had to be put into action, sooner rather than later. The way Charlotte looked it wouldn’t be long before someone else tried to catch her attention. 

Returning her gaze back to her phone she sent a text to her husband: 

“Dan, you need to get him here ASAP! Charlotte is hot and he will NOT be able to resist her. We are by the window. Do NOT be longer than an hour, and both of you had better not be too drunk! We need Sidney coherent!!! Love you honey bum xxxx” 

Esther put her phone down just as Charlotte placed their bottle of wine and glasses on the table. They sat for some time chatting easily, Charlotte felt Esther wasn’t in her previous interview mode and began to relax. They talked about the shops in the town, James Stringer and other people Esther knew. She mentioned Sidney a few times and noticed the blush that crept over Charlottes features each time. 

The band had started playing and a few people were dancing along to the music. They played a selection of late 90’s pop songs and were very good. A couple of men had approached the table asking them both to dance, but Esther had been quick to flash her wedding ring even before Charlotte had a chance to answer. She didn’t want to dance but she found it amusing that Esther was acting as bodyguard. Charlotte could handle herself in a crowded bar. 

Esther kept checking her phone and Charlotte suggested they leave, thinking that perhaps she had somewhere else she wanted to go. 

“Sorry Charlotte, I don’t mean to keep checking my phone, I’ll put it away.” They fell into conversation again, laughing together as they started their second bottle of wine. 

A knock on the window made them both jump. Charlotte recognised Sidney but wasn’t sure who the other man was, she could only assume it was Esther’s husband as he was putting his hand to his mouth and blowing kisses to her. 

Sidney could see what had happened as soon as Babington had knocked on the window of the wine bar. He should have seen the plan as soon as Babington had said he wanted to walk to the chip shop when the club sells perfectly good chips. Sidney ran his free hand through his hair thinking how he could get out of going inside without looking rude. Babington was clinging to his arm and only just about standing, Sidney knew he had no choice but to take him inside to his wife. Sighing loudly, he pulled Babington towards the entrance and deeper into the trap that the married couple had laid. 

Depositing Babington on a stool next to Esther, Sidney shot a glare at the red head as he climbed on to his own stool. He turned to look at Charlotte properly for the first time since arriving. She took his breath away, she had looked stunning when he had seen her at the Retreat but now her eyes looked larger, and brighter and the natural flush to her cheeks from the alcohol was glorious. 

“Hi” he leaned in towards her so she would hear what he had said. The music was loud and the noise of the talking around them filled whatever space was left for his quiet greeting. 

“Hi” Charlotte smiled back at him, leaning a little closer to make sure he had heard her. 

“Would you like a drink? I’m going to the bar” Sidney gestured behind him. Taking everyone’s drink order he left the table to fight his way through the crowd. He saw Stringer leaning against the opposite end of the bar, deep in conversation with Fred. He hoped this wasn’t going to be an issue, perhaps he should leave, but then Charlotte had seemed happy to see him, and didn’t appear bothered about talking to him in front of her boyfriend. 

Setting the tray down he noticed Esther and Babington had left. He looked questioningly at Charlotte. 

“They had to leave, Dan said he was feeling sick, Esther said she couldn’t deal with the humiliation if he vomited on the floor.” She shrugged at him and reached for her glass. He watched her fiddle with the stem, keeping her eyes trained on the thin piece of glass, the simple action of her stroking the stem made his mouth go dry. 

“Stringer is at the bar” He ventured, he decided to take the bull by the horns and find out the situation with them. Now he had been set up by the Babington's he wanted to take full advantage of the situation. He hadn’t drunk too much to make him obnoxious but enough to quieten the demons in his head and to allow himself to just say whatever came into his head. 

“Oh, is he. He said he was out tonight.” She lifted her eyes to look at him, staring at him she lifted her glass and slowly drank from it, her eyes never leaving his face. Sidney swallowed; he was sure that Stringer wasn’t someone he needed to worry about tonight or ever when it came to Charlotte if the look in her eyes was anything to go by. He lifted his own glass, he licked his lips and smiled before drinking from it. 

Charlotte moved the conversation on to safer topics, they discussed why she had come to Sanditon, a bit about their childhoods, Mavis, their shared love for the beach and the sea, their mutual appreciation for instrumental music. They shared funny stories from their university days, laughing hysterically together especially at the stories Sidney shared about himself, Babington and their third friend Crowe. Sidney hadn’t laughed so much in such a long time, he felt good, he was relaxed and unafraid to say anything. Charlotte was not only beautiful but funny and extremely intelligent. He loved listening to her talk about setting up her business and her love of literature, the way her eyes shone as she spoke had him gazing at her unreservedly. 

Charlotte enjoyed talking to Sidney, the deep tones of his voice had her relaxing one minute and the next laughing loudly, she had always felt a little self-conscious of her loud belly laugh but not tonight, not next to him as he joined in with his deep rumble that she could tell came from deep inside him. She could feel him gazing at her, as much as it made her fidget, she liked it, she had his full attention as though they were the only ones there, rather than being sat in a noisy crowded bar. She couldn’t help but stare back, he was a very handsome man, with his chiseled jaw line, his straight nose, his deep dark almost black eyes and just the right amount of stubble he certainly caught her eye. She had already had her hands in his hair earlier during his massage, but she found herself wanting to run her hands through it, blushing slightly she took another drink. 

After an hour of chatting, Charlotte jumped off her stool, leaning into his arm which was resting on the table, she moved her mouth close to his ear, she could almost feel his skin on her lips, and she whispered into his ear “I need to go home now.” He pulled back to look at her, their gaze locked, and he knew without a doubt he was leaving then as well. Grabbing their coats, they left the bar. The cold night air hitting them as they walked on to the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some links to show Charlotte's look:
> 
> Shoes: https://www.irregularchoice.com/womens/high-heels/nick-of-time-bs.html?___SID=U
> 
> Outfit: http://www.girlfriday.at/audrey-hepburn-costume-test-for-sabrina-1950s/ but the trousers are longer and more fitted ;)
> 
> Hair: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/336644140884599653/
> 
> Tattoo: https://www.google.com/search?q=subtle+flower+tattoo+on+foot&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjRgcvnyo7tAhUTcxoKHVRCBRQQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=subtle+flower+tattoo+on+foot&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoGCAAQBxAeOggIABAIEAcQHlCc9wFYwYICYLOFAmgAcAB4AIAB9gGIAc8HkgEFMC42LjGYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=vmG2X9GqFZPmadSElaAB&bih=649&biw=1366&rlz=1CAOWOB_enGB922&safe=active#imgrc=YKa8VARellVP-M hopefully this link works.....its the one in the black box


	6. Still Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's still Friday night, Sidney and Charlotte are getting to know each other better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I keep saying it but I really mean it, thanks so much for all the lovely comments. You're all very kind.
> 
> I have changed the rating from mature to explicit, just because things do get a little steamy here. I have put ****** in before it starts. If you want to stop at those, you won't miss out on any plot. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter......

“Taxi?” Sidney looked at Charlotte who was fiddling with her bag, trying to get the strap on her shoulder, she looked up at him and smiled. 

“I actually need to go to the shop” She pointed passed him to the shop at the end of the street “I need some milk” she blushed and looked back to her bag. 

“OK, I’ll walk you to the shop, then we can organise some taxis” Sidney stepped forward, pulling his coat tighter around him, the night air was seeping through the fabric, he hadn’t been expecting to walk very far tonight so hadn’t dressed for the December chill. Usually when he met Babington they stayed in the club, but that obviously hadn’t been Babington's plan this evening. He would need to speak to Esther about her matchmaking, and thank her, she had given him the chance to spend the evening alone with Charlotte. He had really enjoyed himself; he had relaxed and had told her a lot about himself while learning about her, it had been an easy exchange but now it was time to call it a night. He started thinking about how to ask her if she wanted to go on an actual date with him, somewhere outside of Sanditon so they would have some privacy away from prying eyes. 

Walking towards the shop in companionable silence, Charlotte’s ankle gave way and she stumbled. Sidney managed to catch her before she landed on the floor, helping her back on to her feet with both hands on her elbows. She looked up at him with an intensity he wasn’t sure he was ready for; she licked her bottom lip as she looked down from his eyes to his lips and he was lost. He pulled her flush against his chest, moving his hands to her hips, capturing her lips with his own. 

Her lips were soft, against his own, he slowly increased the pressure as she responded to him, matching his movements as the intensity of the kiss increased. Without taking her lips from his she raised her arms to push her fingers into his hair while the other gripped his bicep tightly ensuring he didn’t pull away. He allowed his own hand to sink lower to rest on her bum while the other roamed up her back to her head. 

They were so lost in each other they forgot they were stood in the street, unaware of the people walking around them and the cars driving passed until a car horn sounded, causing them to pull their heads apart. The teenager in the passenger seat leaned out of the window and shouted, “Get a room!” Giggling like teenagers themselves they gazed at each other smiling, neither wanting to move their body away from the other. 

Sidney jerked his head in the direction of the shop “Let’s get that milk.” Untangling themselves they fell into step together, Sidney reached down and took Charlotte’s hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze and rubbing his thumb along the back of it rhythmically, making Charlotte shiver. 

“I’ll just be a minute; you can wait here if you like? See if any taxis come past.” Charlotte let go of his hand and dashed inside the small shop. Running down the aisles she picked up a bottle of wine, and a carton of milk. She hesitated as she started down the toiletry aisle, she wasn’t sure if she was being presumptuous or wanton, but she wanted to be prepared just in case. As she stood staring at the condoms, she felt flustered, she’d never really looked at them and had never noticed before how many varieties there were, let alone the different quantities available. Taking a deep breath, she put out her hand and grabbed the first box she touched. Paying quickly, she pushed the box into her bag and headed outside to Sidney. 

“Hi, I’ve organised a taxi to pick us up, it’s on its way.” 

“Great, it’s a bit too far to walk in these shoes.” Charlotte was glad the taxi was arriving quickly. It was a very cold night, and her feet were getting cold. 

It was only a short ride to Charlotte’s cottage and as they stopped outside the gate, Sidney hesitated, he wanted to go inside but didn’t want to pressure her. Afterall they had only just shared their first kiss, even if it felt like he had known her his whole life, he didn’t want to rush her and scare her off. 

“Do you want to come in and share a glass?” Charlotte lifted the bottle of wine up as she stood outside the door of the taxi, “Or perhaps a cup of tea?” Sidney pulled his wallet from his pocket and passed some money forward to the driver unaware of how much he’d given the driver, all he could think about was getting out of the taxi and into the cottage. 

Once inside Charlotte disappeared into the room to his left, she switched on the Christmas tree lights, and put some music on. The room was tastefully decorated with Christmas items, it looked homely and Sidney could easily imagine spending his evenings sitting on the sofa with Charlotte under the Christmas lights. He was really surprised at this thought; he hadn’t looked for a relationship since Eliza and now all he could see was his future. 

His thoughts were broken as Charlotte came back out into the hallway smiling at him. “Can you put the kettle on please? Kitchen is just back there. I’m just popping to the loo.” He watched her go up the stairs, then headed into the kitchen taking the discarded bottle of wine with him. 

Charlotte looked at herself in the mirror, she was surprised at her appearance, she still looked decent considering it was now almost midnight. Taking a deep breath trying to decide how far she wanted tonight to go. There was no doubt she found Sidney attractive, although she had enjoyed their conversation, and she felt she knew him better than she did this morning they wouldn’t win any Mr. and Mrs. competitions just yet. 

She wasn’t a virgin, so sex wasn’t a new thing to her, but it had been a long time since she had last let anyone see her naked and she wasn’t entirely confident of her new curves especially as she already knew how muscular Sidney was. One-night stands had never been something Charlotte was interested in, she preferred the comfort of a relationship, she also had to consider that Sidney was her client. Sighing as she pulled the last pair of beautiful soft socks he had bought her out of the box, she decided she needed to relax and go with the flow. 

Coming back down the stairs Charlotte could see Sidney was in the living room, sat on the sofa, his long jean clad legs were stretched out in front of him. She had a flash back to how good he had looked at the bar and felt a flush come over her. She took a deep breath to steady herself and whispered ‘Just go with it. Leap of faith.” 

“Hey, I made coffee, is that OK?” He sat forward on the sofa as she entered the room, she looked beautiful if a little unsure, which in turn made him feel nervous. Perhaps he should have left in the taxi. 

“Coffee is great thanks; do you want anything to eat?” She gestured to the kitchen as he shook his head. Charlotte sat down next to him but turned to lean her back against the arm of the sofa, so she was facing him, she lifted her feet up and tucked her toes under his leg. He watched her as she did it and she saw the smile spread from his lips to his eyes as he noticed the socks she was wearing. 

“Thanks so much for these, they really are beautiful and were such a surprise. I was really shocked when I opened them. The courier caught me just as I was leaving the Retreat.” He placed his hand on her foot and stroked it with his thumb. 

“You’re welcome, I’m glad you like them. Erm I’m sorry about that text, I was drunk when I sent it” His checks flushed as he looked at her, “I just wanted to send something nice as an apology, I saw these and thought they were appropriate. I see you have the matching pair on.” 

“Yes, I’ll try to keep them matched as they’re so pretty. I normally don’t have time to match socks, but I’ll make the effort with these.” She shrugged and sipped her coffee, burning her tongue in the process. “I have a question” She raised her eyebrow at him “actually it’s two questions. Why were you so interested in my socks and my t-shirt and how old do you think I am? Your text implied you think I’m a schoolgirl.” She laughed here as she found it amusing to see how uncomfortable he looked, she knew she looked young for her age, she followed her mum who at 61 didn’t look a day over 50. 

“Ah well, I assumed you’re around 23 but after talking with you this evening and learning all the things you have done, you must be closer to my own age than I thought.” 

“I’m 29, and what was so annoying about my clothes?” Sipping her coffee again feeling the hot liquid hit her stomach and warm her from the inside out. 

“I had hoped you’d forgotten that bit, can I explain that another day?” Sidney looked away thinking, then turning his head back to her the alcohol in his system still allowing him to be free with his words “Your t-shirt didn’t annoy me, I erm liked it, probably a little too much.” He grinned at her, using the same boyish smile he had when he’d been sat on the massage table. 

“Oh” She blushed, as that evening flashed into her mind at the sight of his smile, no wonder he’d suggested a jumper. 

They were silent for a few minutes each enjoying the music that was playing quietly in the background. Sidney placed his mug on the floor, turning a little in his seat, still holding her one foot, he cleared his throat. 

“Look, I’m not the best with words, and I shouldn’t have sent that text, I was drunk and I’m really sorry.” He paused and took a deep breath “I’ve enjoyed tonight but I think I should head home now. It’s pretty late.” He stroked her foot once more, looking at her as she stared at her mug. She looked up, placed her mug next to his and leaned forward over her knees. She kissed him softly on his lips, she wasn’t ready for him to leave just yet. 

*********************************************************************************************************************

As the kiss intensified, they found themselves getting uncomfortable due to their positions and the narrowness of the sofa. Sidney pulled away first and sat up. Stretching his back as he did. 

“I’m just going to make another brew.” Charlotte stood up and left the room, she needed a minute to think, she didn’t want him to go but what would he think of her, if he stayed the night? 

Sat in the living room Sidney could hear the kettle go on, he could feel that Charlotte wanted to move things forward just as he did, but him sitting up had ruined the moment. He knew he wanted more with her and he knew for him it wasn’t a one-night stand. As scared as he was, he wanted to have a relationship with her, and he wanted to take the next step tonight, exactly one week after he had met her, he knew that this was it for him. Standing up he walked to the kitchen. 

He could see Charlotte stood in the darkness with only the moonlight illuminating her, waiting for the kettle to boil, she was slowly moving to the music, which is playing in the living room, chewing her thumb nervously. He walked over to her and placed his arm around her waist, pulling her bum to him he moved his body to her rhythm. He placed kisses on her neck Charlotte moved her head to the side to allow him better access, continuing their slow dance. As he reached her ear, he gently bit it before sucking it, she leaned further back into him, feeling his hard chest against her back. Sidney kept his one hand around her waist while using the other to pull the neck of her jumper towards her shoulder, making the most of the deep V at the back. Exposing her soft skin, he pressed more kisses along her shoulder. Charlotte shivered and turned in his arms, tilting her head, claiming his lips fearlessly, slipping her tongue into his mouth as he continued to pull the jumper down her arm. 

He lifted her, placing her bum on the kitchen unit, they locked eyes and in that moment they both knew this was more than a one-night thing. Simultaneously leaning forward, their mouths joined in a heated kiss, both had their hands in each other's hair, keeping their heads together. Unsatisfied with keeping his hands in one place, Sidney moved his hands down, one to cup Charlotte's arse to keep her pressed as close to him as possible while the other cupped her full breast. He pulled her black lacy bra down and stroked her hardened nipple with his thumb. Charlotte groaned into his mouth as he felt his cock harden further. At this rate he really wouldn’t last long. 

As Charlotte kept hitting her head on the top cupboard, Sidney picked her up and turned around. He sat her on the table, he lifted her jumper which now sat pooled around her waist, pulling it up over her head. She reached for his jumper and did the same, as he pulled it off his raised arms, he felt her hands already on his abs, running her fingers over the slight ridges of his muscles. 

She placed her hands on his belt, loosening it slowly before reaching for the buttons on his jeans, as she pulled them and his now too tight boxers down, his cock sprang free. Before he could do anything, he felt her hand on him, tentatively stroking him from the base, along the shaft to the tip, before returning to the base and gripping it more firmly. He moaned and leaned his head back as she found the right rhythm. 

Not wanting to come too soon, he gently pushed her back, so she was lying on the table, he followed her, leaning over her never taking his lips from her mouth. Their kisses were messy and unrelenting, but they still weren’t close enough. 

He fumbled with her trousers struggling to find the zip, she moved her hand from his cock to help him, the zip was on the side, she undid it and lifted her bum to slip them down slowly. Exposing her lace black knickers to Sidney's eyes, he hadn’t thought he could get more aroused but seeing Charlotte lying on her kitchen table bathed in moonlight in just her black lingerie he did. 

Returning his mouth to hers he undid her bra, taking it off completely, he felt her full breast pressed against his hard chest. Charlotte had lifted her legs to hold him against her, the pressure he was putting on her centre caused her to moan, she bit his lip and pulled him in closer again frustrated by the fabric between them. Sidney must have felt the same as he straightened up, gripped one side of the thin material, and tore it. He then dropped it to the floor replacing it with his hand, his fingers slipping easily into her. Charlotte writhed on the table arching her back as he increased the pressure of his thumb and the speed at which he moved his fingers in and out of her. His other hand moved to her mouth where she took his finger in and sucked it fully between her swollen lips. He leaned over her again, placing his lips on hers, thrusting his tongue into her mouth, while his free hand gripped her hip, trying to steady her and stop her failing from the table. 

Charlotte pulled her mouth away from his “In my bag, on the chair” She nodded to her left. Sidney understood what she meant and quickly reached for the bag and found the condoms. Slipping one on he positioned himself between her legs, Charlotte sat up to kiss him, gripping his hair tightly she leaned back pulling him with her, putting his hands on her hips he pulled her back down the table to him. Looking up from where they would join, he saw her staring at him, he smiled as he felt her foot on his butt gently pulling him forward. He needed no further encouragement, he leaned over her and as his lips touched hers, he entered her slowly, inching himself in until she had taken all of him. He stilled for a moment enjoying the feeling of her surrounding him, as their lips moved, he slowly moved his hips. He found he couldn’t keep the slow pace for long, between Charlotte's movements and his own need, his thrusts became quicker and harder until he heard Charlotte cry out his name in pleasure, he came not long after her, collapsing on top of her. Both wet with perspiration they continued to kiss slowly. 

Lifting himself up from her and stepping out of his jeans, he then pulled her to him. Picking her up as she clung to his shoulders, limp from such an intense orgasm. He carried her slowly up the stairs to bed.


	7. Saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sidney and Charlotte get to know each other a little more in the bedroom.
> 
> And Sidney meets the neighbours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always for reading, commenting and leaving kudos.
> 
> I am blown away that my fic has a hashtag! You guys are so kind. Really love how you have all embraced the socks, I love socks.
> 
> As always I hope you like this chapter, there isn't a huge amount of plot development in it, it's more of a bridging chapter to get us where we need to be
> 
> If you don't like the rudy bits skip to the ******

When Sidney woke up, he struggled to recognise where he was at first. Charlotte had thick curtains at the window, but they weren’t pulled quite closed, so the moon was shining into the room. He didn’t have any blinds or curtains on his bedroom window at home. When he’d built his house, he made sure his room would have an uninterrupted sea view, so he’d never felt he’d needed them. It had taken a lot longer than he had expected for the house to be built, staying at Trafalgar house had put even more of a strain on his relationship with Tom, even with Mary acting as mediator it had been much harder than expected. Things had only improved slightly since the build had been completed 2 years ago. He tried to steer his thoughts away from Tom, he didn’t want them to ruin the calm feeling he had as he lay next to Charlotte. It had been a while since he had shared a bed with someone and although he was a little hot from the thick quilt, he found he was quite comfortable. 

Charlotte stirred next to him, he turned his head to look at her, she was so peaceful in her sleep. He wanted to reach out to touch her, to make sure she was real, and that he wasn’t having an elaborate dream, but he stayed as still as possible and just let his eyes roam her face, taking in all the details so he could recall them after he had left. 

Charlotte could feel him staring at her, she opened her eyes and looked straight into his. He smiled, and turned his body to face her, reaching for her under the covers he touched her waist and pulled her a little closer, he just needed to touch her, to feel her warmth. 

“Hey, are you ok?” He asked quietly. 

“Yeah, you?” She breathed out, suddenly conscious that she had fallen asleep as soon as he had placed her on the bed. Her hair would be wild and her make smudged across her face, but she quickly forgot her worries as Sidney leaned closer and kissed her, slowly, tantalisingly, running his tongue along her lip before slipping it into her mouth, beckoning her to move closer to him and to deepen the kiss. His hand stroked her back in slow sensual even strokes, causing her skin to react with goose bumps. 

The kiss intensified, their bodies were flush against each other, Sidney moved Charlottes leg to hook over his hip. He ran his hand from her knee to her bum and rested his hand on it, gently stroking her soft skin but also gently pulling her even closer. 

Before they went any further Charlotte felt she needed to clarify something with him, she pulled her head back far enough to be able to look at him. She reached her hand up to play with the curls just above his forehead, avoiding eye contact when she began to speak. 

“I’ve never gone to bed with someone so soon after meeting them” She looked down at his lips and then back to his eyes. “I hope you don’t think badly of me.” She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth insecurely while she watched his eyes roam her face. 

“Charlotte, I don’t think badly of you. How could I? Unfortunately, it is something I have done in the past, but not for several years, but with you tonight, it just felt right and natural. I may have had a drink or two, but I want you to know I wasn’t drunk.” Stroking her thigh, he looked at his hand “I can leave if you want?” He didn’t look up, he hoped she wouldn’t want him to leave, he hadn’t viewed this as a one-night stand and he didn’t think Charlotte had either, but they were in different places in their lives. He was 7 years her senior, perhaps she wasn’t ready to settle down in a relationship but wanted to explore the world alone and under her own steam. 

Charlotte placed her finger on his chin and applied soft pressure to encourage him to look at her. He lifted his eyes and as they connected with hers, she whispered, “No I don’t want you to leave” She moved her lips closer until they were lightly touching his. As her lips grazed his she murmured “Stay.” Sidney shivered at the sensation she caused on his mouth, he crashed his lips more firmly on hers, taking her bottom lip into his mouth and gently sucking it before releasing it. They were all lips and tongues as they hungrily tried to claim each other's mouths. Charlottes hand moved from Sidney's bicep, sliding up his arm to his shoulder and down his back, feeling his strong muscles move and contract as he caressed her body. She felt the desperate need to be closer to him still build up inside her, she normally enjoyed foreplay but tonight she just wanted to feel Sidney inside her, filling her and pleasuring her beyond her wildest dreams. Her orgasm earlier had been so intense, far stronger than she had ever felt before and she wanted to feel that again. 

She rolled on to her back, pulling him with her so his body was half covering her, she found she enjoyed his weight on her, but she wanted more, so much more and she could feel that he did also, as his hard cock was pressing into her hip. 

Sidney had moved his hand down her body, he had stopped to enjoy the fullness of her breast before furthering his exploration, lower, until his thumb found her clit, he was moving it in circular motions and could tell from Charlottes breathing he had found the right rhythm and the right amount of pressure, he slipped his finger inside her, her heat welcoming his finger easily, Charlotte moaned and opened her legs further. As she tried to pull him further over her body, pulling his hand away to guide his throbbing cock into her, he stopped and pulled back slightly, one of them needed to be sensible. After Charlotte had taken the responsibility of buying the condoms Sidney knew it was his turn to think before he acted. Stroking the loose strands of hair from her face he asked “Charlotte, have you got any condoms up here?” As much as he hated them, they were a necessary evil until they had a more substantial conversation about contraception. 

“No, only that box from earlier.” 

“Shit, it’s still downstairs.” 

“Oh” was all she murmured as she reached for his cock, moving her fingers tips slowly up and down his shaft. 

He pulled back and placed a kiss on her forehead “Hold that thought.” He threw off the covers, climbed out of the warm bed and felt the cold air hit him. He ran down the stairs being careful not to slip in the dark. 

As he entered the kitchen, he was grateful he still had his socks on, the cold from the tiles were already seeping through the fabric and he had only walked a few steps. Stepping over his discarded jeans he found the box of condoms, pulling out a strip of two he put the box down on the table and turned to head back upstairs. He paused as he reached the door and retraced his steps back to the table and the box. 

“Better to be prepared I think” he grinned to himself as he picked up the box and ran back up the stairs two at a time. 

Sidney entered the bedroom holding the box up, but Charlotte had pulled the quilt up around her ears and he could tell from her breathing she was asleep. He put the box on the bedside table, sat down to take his socks off then slipped into bed next to her. Falling asleep quickly as he listened to her gentle breathing. 

He woke to small circles being drawn on his chest and her hair tickling his nose. As he opened his eyes, he pulled his arm closer, moving Charlotte tighter to the side of his body. At some point in the night his arm had slipped under her neck, so her head was resting on his shoulder, her arm and leg had naturally crept across his body, anchoring them together. Comfortably warm in their unconscious bliss. 

“Morning” Charlotte muttered as she placed a kiss on his peck. 

“Morning” he replied as he kissed her head, Charlotte moved so she could see his face, she had a flush to her cheeks making her glow. Staring into each other's eyes they both moved their heads towards the other, pressing their lips shyly together, moving their lips in sync until Sidney dared to slip his tongue into her mouth, she matched his movement, deepening the kiss and causing them both to moan. 

As they continued to kiss Sidney turned on his side and moved his hand to keep her leg over his hip, he slipped his hand between her legs, applying pressure to her clit and moving his thumb in the same circular movements from the night before. Charlotte's breath became ragged, as she started to move her hips to match his movements. As he slipped his finger inside her, he could feel how close she already was. His cock was already hard but feeling her so wet made his cock throb. He kept his hand movements the same as he peppered kisses down her neck and along her collar bone, then back along to her neck before gently sucking her ear, then returning to her swollen lips and thrusting his tongue inside her open mouth as she cried out in ecstasy, her walls clamping around his fingers. 

He reached for a condom, slipping it on he climbed between her legs, placing his hands either side of her to hold his weight. Lining up his cock with her entrance he slowly pushed himself inside her as she arched her back enabling him to fill her completely, he pulled himself back to the tip and then slowly pushed himself forward, watching as they were fully joined. 

He continued his slow punishing rhythm until Charlotte could take no more. She wrapped her legs around him and held him in place so his movements would stay deep inside her. Looking up at him, she sucked her lip, then pulled him down to her, she wanted to feel his complete weight on her, feel him rub her clit as he moved in and out of her. 

As he kissed her, she placed her hands on his butt and pulled him in deep, she moaned as he pulled out again, she repeated the motion savouring the feeling of his firm bum under her hands. Charlotte had her back arched and her head thrown back as Sidney continued with the rhythm she had set, as he pushed into her deeply one last time, he heard her moaned out his name from deep within her throat. As he heard it, he felt his own release spill out of him, he had never heard something so sexy and it was his undoing. 

He collapsed next to her, pulling her on to her side close to him, panting he planted kisses on her head, rubbing her shoulder with his one hand while pulling the cover over them with the other. They both fell back to sleep covered in each other's sweat but completely content. 

***************************************************************** 

A few hours later Sidney woke up, he left Charlotte in bed, after using the toilet and disposing of the used condom, he wandered downstairs to first find his clothes and then to make a coffee. 

Priorities first he flicked the kettle on, Sidney knew he would feel more awake after a coffee. He then found his boxers and pulled them on, as he began his search through the cupboards for a mug, he heard the front door open and close, followed by Mavis running into the kitchen, jumping up his leg to say hello. He bent down to stroke her head, wondering if Charlotte had let her out while he had been in the kitchen, although he hadn’t seen Mavis the night before. 

“Yoo-hoo, I brought...Oh” a short dark-haired lady stopped in the door frame to stare at Sidney, “Hello Sidney” she drew his name out longer than necessary then blushed as she allowed her eyes to roam his boxer clad body while he stood up straight. She reached up her hand to pat her hair as if to make sure it was still in place. 

Sidney stood still, feeling awkward at being caught in such a state of undress in Charlottes kitchen by Mrs. Barnes. She was known the towns biggest busybody, and cougar if the rumours were to be believed. The whole town would know about him being here before it was dark. He wasn’t worried about his reputation, he already knew the rumours about himself, even if they were outdated and false, they still circulated between the ladies who lunch. He knew he was known as being unattainable, distant and moody, and if anyone was lucky enough to get him to go home with them then he was a love them and leave them type of man. He could handle the rumours and the looks, but he didn’t want Charlotte to be subjected to that and the gossip of the women of the town. He knew from Esther that they were unforgiving and vicious, especially to newcomers. 

“Hello Mrs. Barnes, how are you?” Sidney desperately wanted to reach for his clothes, but he didn’t want to draw attention to the black lacy knickers that lay torn next to his jeans on the floor near Mrs. Barnes’ foot or the bra that hung haphazardly over the chair beside her, just out of her line of sight. Sidney need not have worried about her noticing anything other than him; her eyes did not leave his body, he began to feel even more uncomfortable as the silence stretched longer until she finally answered that she was well, very well indeed. 

“Erm Charlotte is asleep, I can take care of Mavis now, shall I get her to call you perhaps?” he asked her as he motioned her to step out into the small hallway. 

“No, no it’s fine, I have an appointment with her on Monday. I’m sure I can wait until then to find out all about this.” She moved her arm up, down and around to show that she meant him. Sidney sighed; he really didn’t think Charlotte would gossip but he needed to stop Mrs. Barnes before it got out of control. 

“Mrs. Barnes, I’d appreciate if you didn’t tell anyone that I was here this morning, what you see here is private between myself and Charlotte, and well, it’s not anyone else's business but ours, I’m sure you can appreciate that.” He flashed her his best smile as he reached for the front door latch, gently guiding her with his other hand out the door. 

“Of course, Sidney, I won’t tell a soul.” She smirked as she looked at him from head to toe and back again, she slowly licked her lip, smiled again at him and left. 

As he closed the door he shuddered, Mrs. Barnes had been his form teacher at secondary school, the sex education classes had always been uncomfortable with her reading from the leaflet and her slightly overzealous demonstration of putting a condom on a banana had had them all cringing. But those memories were nothing compared to how he now felt. He walked back to the kitchen to make the coffees; he would definitely need a shower after that encounter.


	8. (still) Saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte and Sidney get to know each other.
> 
> We learn a bit more about Charlotte's past and Sidney's relationship with Mary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was becoming really long, I have split it into two and the 2nd half will be up soon.   
> I wanted to give the 2nd part it's own chapter so we can enjoy it for all it's worth.  
> As always I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks so much for all the positive comments and kudos.

Charlotte walked into the kitchen and stopped, she watched Sidney as he stood looking out of the window. His back really was a thing of beauty, as he moved his arm to run his fingers through his hair, she could see every muscle contract. He must spend a lot of time working out to get such great definition, although his muscles were defined and his biceps large, they weren’t out of proportion for his body. For Charlotte he had the perfect balance, muscular but not professional body builder muscular. Her mind wandered back to her ex-boyfriend, he had been a body builder and was very tall, taller than Sidney. He’d had cropped hair which was so short she couldn’t run her fingers through it, she had hated it at the time and was now even more grateful for Sidney’s thick wavy hair. When she had first met Elliot, she had been attracted to his strength, his size, and his bad boy attitude, but as time went on, she found out he wouldn’t ever be able to love her as much as he loved himself and the buzz he got from sleeping with all the gym bunnies that hung around him. Thankfully, she had realised it before they had moved in together. She had a few weeks left of her course and they had been making plans to live together, it would have meant Charlotte making her part time data entry job full time, rather than pursuing her love of massage. Once she had found out about him cheating Charlotte decided to return to Willingden as she didn’t want to run into him and his conquests while trying to move on. That had been in May, she had allowed herself to wallow while she had been at home, then after a long talk with her parents she knew she needed to follow the dream she had planned for Brighton somewhere else. Not only had she had her heart broken in Brighton she had also been priced out of the market for almost all the shop rentals and the ones she could afford were too far out of the centre. She had begun her search the same evening she had spoken to her parents and had moved to Sanditon 4 weeks later, in the middle of November. 

Mavis ran into the kitchen looking for some food, or a toy and broke both of their thoughts. Sidney turned to see Charlotte stood in plain blue satin pyjamas, her hair now loose around her shoulders. She looked beautifully disheveled, her cheeks were rosy, and her chestnut brown eyes were sparkling in the sunlight that was streaming in through the window behind him. 

“You just missed Mrs. Barnes.” He smiled ruefully at her, still wearing just his boxers, and taking a sip from his mug. “I’ve made you a coffee, hope you didn’t mind me helping myself.” 

“Thanks, yeah that’s great.” Charlotte moved to sit down as Sidney placed the mugs on the round table and sat down next to her. “I forgot she was bringing Mavis back at 10, did she see you?” Sidney could see the concern in her face, as she looked up at him from her mug. 

“Yes, she did. I don’t think she noticed the clothes on the floor, but I think me being dressed like this may have given her a pretty good idea about what happened between us. I asked her to not say anything to anyone.” He reassured her. 

“Oh, I see.” Charlotte stood, wanting to be away from him, suddenly feeling insecure about what had happened last night and this morning. He had said he didn’t participate in one night stands any more but perhaps she was an exception, what with being the new girl in town. 

“Hey, stop.” He caught hold of her hand as she stood up and turned away from him, she stopped but only turned her head slightly to look at him. “I didn’t mean it like that. I can tell what you’re thinking but believe me, I know Mrs. Barnes likes to gossip and I don’t want that for you. You forget I’ve lived here all my life; it doesn’t take long for everyone to know your business whether you want them to or not. Ask Esther if you don’t believe me.” He pushed his chair back and pulled her into his lap “I meant what I said, I’m not looking for a one-night stand. In fact, I was wondering what you’re doing this afternoon? I promised to visit my nieces and nephews today but afterwards I thought we could meet up unless it’s too much too soon? I er.” She leaned into him and kissed him slowly, enjoying his soft lips briefly before pulling away to look in his deep brown eyes, she noticed that they had tiny flecks of darker brown in them making them appear much darker at a distance than they actually were close up. 

“That sounds great, but I have Mavis and after leaving her last night I don’t want to leave her again today. I’m sorry.” 

“What I have in mind includes Mavis, can you be ready by one?” She nodded as she felt his hand at the back of her head gently guiding her closer for another soft, gentle lingering kiss. Leaning her body against his chest, she felt his warmth seep through her pyjama top, twisting herself more so her chest was now flush against his. They deepened the kiss, his hand gripping her hair a little tighter, while her fingers dug into his chest. Panting they pulled apart, staring into each other's eyes, both reading unspoken words in the other's eyes. 

Sidney smiled at her, tucking her hair behind one of her ears “I need to get dressed and leave.” Charlotte stood and bent to pick up his jeans. As he stood up, he gave her a chaste kiss and took the jeans from her. “Mind if I use your bathroom?” He scooped up his jumper, gave her another quick kiss as she nodded at him and he disappeared to go up the stairs. Mavis hot on his heels. 

After saying goodbye to Charlotte and telling her to dress warmly, Sidney walked through the town centre towards Trafalgar House, he saw Mrs. Barnes talking to one of her cronies and sincerely hoped she wasn’t telling her about this morning. He would need to tell Charlotte some of his worst escapades before she heard them from someone else, but he wasn’t sure where to start, although he knew he needed to tell her about the Eliza mess first. That was something he certainly didn’t look forward to doing but if he wanted to try to have a relationship with Charlotte, he knew he had to try to open up to her. He had spent years guarding his heart and he knew that last night he had given up the fight and had handed it to Charlotte willingly, now he just needed to make her want to keep hold of it. 

Sidney was surprised by the silence in Trafalgar House, it was unusual for the house to be so quiet especially on a Saturday morning. “Hello, anyone here?” he called loudly as he walked through the kitchen towards the lounge, where he found Mary sat doing some sort of needle work. 

“Oh, hello Sidney, Tom has taken the children to the beach for a bit of a run around, they were quite wild this morning. Did you have a good night?” She raised her eyebrow at him, aware that he was still wearing the same clothes he went out in. He sat down slowly in the large armchair opposite Mary and sighed; he knew Mary wouldn’t pry but he still felt a little irked by his encounter with Mrs. Barnes. 

“Yes, I did thank you” Sidney smiled to himself and looked away towards the window as the memory of waking up with Charlotte in his arms flooded his mind. He looked back at Mary before any other memories could take over his senses. “Mary would you let me know if hear any gossip surrounding Charlotte Heywood and myself please?” Mary stopped what she was doing, pushing the needle through the fabric sideways to hold it in place, she put it on the arm of the chair so she could give him her full attention. 

“The new masseuse?” Sidney nodded, kneading his hands together. “Yes of course I will. Why would I hear any gossip Sidney? You haven’t fallen out with her, have you?” Mary kicked off her slippers and tucked her feet up on the sofa to get more comfortable. She always enjoyed her talks with Sidney, as much as she loved Arthur, she had always been closer to Sidney, perhaps it was because they were closer in age than her and Arthur were, or perhaps it was because she had a greater understanding of his personality, he had come to her when he realised his relationship with Eliza had been toxic, revealing his loneliness and his horror at what he and she had become and needing someone to help him see the wood for the trees with his desperate situation. 

He gave her a half smile, a blush creeping up his neck to his cheeks, he looked down at his hands, “No, quite the opposite actually, we get on very well. It’s just you know what the town gossips can be like, especially with anything surrounding myself.” 

“Ah I see, this explains your clothes, I thought perhaps you had stayed with Babington, but am I right in assuming you stayed with Charlotte?” Sidney nodded, feeling like a teenager about to be reprimanded by his mother. “I’m pleased for you Sidney, she’s a breath of fresh air in this town, but you need to be careful and tell her about everything. Were you seen leaving is that the problem?” 

Sidney took a deep breath and slowly let it out, he regaled the tale of Mrs. Barnes and her wandering eye to a most amused Mary who was trying hard to hide a grin as well as to hold laughter in as Sidney described his discomfort at his old teacher ogling him. 

“Go on, you can laugh, let it out.” Sidney shook his head as Mary dissolved into laughter with tears streaming down her face. 

“I’m sorry Sidney, it isn’t really funny, but I can just imagine her face when she saw you. Uh hum, sorry, I’ll pull myself together now. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know. I’m sure Mrs. Barnes won’t tell anyone, if Charlotte is leaving her dog with her and giving her a key, she must trust her. Do you want a cup of tea? I’m not sure how long Tom will be. You know you’re welcome to wait; the children will be pleased to see you.” 

Checking his watch, he agreed to join Mary in having a cup, “I’ll need to leave at 12, I’m picking Charlotte up at 1pm and I need to go home and change. I don’t want Tom to know yet, I know he’ll blow things out of proportion and have us getting married before Christmas, I don’t like asking you to lie to him, but could you just not tell him or anyone else?” 

Mary smiled at him, as they both stood, she hugged him, “I’m really pleased for you Sidney, I wish you and Charlotte every happiness. It goes without saying I won’t tell anyone, especially Tom. As much as I love that man, he isn’t discreet.” 

As they moved through to the kitchen the back door flung open and a sand covered Tom fell through the doorway followed by his children, running past him to the lounge. 

“Ah Sidney, wonderful, you’re here I have some business to discuss with you.” Tom said as he closed the door, finally shutting the cold air out. 

“Not today Tom, I’m here to see these lovely lot and then I am leaving. It’s Saturday, take a day off.” He winked at Mary, turned and took his tea through to the lounge where the children were. 

Just after 1pm Sidney pulled up outside Charlotte's cottage, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he chanted to himself “You can do this, just be yourself” at that thought he laughed, that was why he was nervous, no one except Babington and Crowe really knew his true personality, not even Mary, although she knew him far better than his own siblings did. 

Charlotte had seen his car stop outside and had rushed into the kitchen. Gripping the sink with both hands she did the breathing exercises she practiced with some of her clients. Even though they had already slept together Charlotte was nervous, in her mind the sex was the easy part, no talking required, but sitting in a car with him and spending an afternoon with him seemed like a whole different beast and what a beast she found it. Charlotte had never had problems making conversation with others and although their chatting had flowed at the bar the night before, the half-bottle of wine and her outfit had helped her confidence. Today she was dressed in a rust coloured pinafore dress, with a black top and thick black tights with her black boots, her hair was freshly washed and hanging in loose waves around her shoulders, she had left her make-up more neutral today and now she was wishing she had gone for a more polished look. She felt he was completely out of her league, he was obviously rich, well-educated, and far more experienced in everything compared to her. 

The doorbell rang and Charlotte looked at Mavis in desperation, “Shit Mav why did I say yes to this?” Mavis tilted her head and put her front paws on Charlotte's leg. “I know girl, you like him. I do too but we don’t really know him.” The bell rang again, Charlotte sighed, having made her decision she walked to the door. 

Opening the door to Sidney took all of Charlotte's courage, she was going to tell him she couldn’t go, make up some excuse as to why she needed to stay home, watching Bridget Jones’ Diary with a giant tub of ice cream but as soon as she saw him, she knew she wasn’t staying in. He stood leaning against the gate post his hands casually pushed into his jean pockets, he had paired his jeans with a well fitted black jumper that showed off his physique to its best, and a pair of dark sunglasses. 

“Hey, ready?” He smiled at her and bent down to stroke Mavis who had run out from behind Charlotte's legs. 

“I’ll just grab my coat,” Charlotte disappeared back inside while Sidney picked Mavis up to continue stroking her head. “Oh, you don’t need to carry her, I’ve got her blanket here to save your seats, or we could go in my car?” Charlotte motioned to her old Corsa that was parked on her small driveway. 

“It’s no problem honestly, the seats will be fine. Come on we should go, it’s a bit of drive if that’s OK? About an hour.” 

“Yeah, she should be OK with that. Where are we going?” Charlotte asked as she settled Mavis on the back seat and moved to the passenger seat. 

“There’s an old harbour just along the coast, I thought we could have a walk along the cliff top path and then have food in the restaurant there, if you want to, it’s dog friendly.” He smiled at her nervously looking for reassurance that she approved of his plan. 

“Sounds great.” As Sidney started the car Mavis jumped through the middle of the front seats and curled up on Charlotte's lap. “She’s probably happier in the front, it’s where she sits in my car.” Charlotte looked over at Sidney who nodded, stroked Mavis then turned his attention to driving. 

They drove for a few minutes in silence, both listening to the radio and running topics of conversation through their heads. Charlotte didn’t regret what had happened, quite the opposite it was all she could think of the way his hands had felt on her body, so soft but with so much confidence and strength, his face as he climaxed, that was something she could watch again and again. He looked so free and beautiful, like a Greek god, blessing her with this intimate moment. She could feel her face getting warm, she looked out of the window, then turned back to look at his profile. Charlotte could confirm that Sidney Parker in profile had been carved by Michelangelo, just like he had carved the statue of David, he had made this man. Charlotte needed to stop staring, she wondered what he would think if he caught her, she thought he would most likely be used to it, but she didn’t want him to think she was with him just for his looks, she wanted to get to know him. 

“Can you tell me any history of the harbour we’re going to?” she asked blurting out the first thing that had come to mind. She cringed inwardly but smiled at him quickly as he glanced at her. 

“I don’t really know much about it, it’s a small inlet really and someone at some time built a harbour wall. Perhaps the landowner at the time. What I can tell you is the restaurant is owned by my friend Crowe, he’s not there today, don’t worry.” He glanced at her again and reached for her hand, giving it a quick squeeze before putting his hand back on the steering wheel. "He’s at home convalescing after breaking his leg skiing in France. The silly fool was there alone in his chalet, Babington and I had to go over to rescue him.” Sidney laughed here, making Charlotte smile at him, it was a booming sound that filled the car, disturbing Mavis from her sleep, who glared at him before dropping her head back on to Charlotte’s lap. “It wasn’t too bad for Babington and I in the end, Crowe had panicked and called us over before he was ready to leave so we had a few days of skiing before coming back. Have you been skiing?” Sidney asked. 

“No, I haven’t, I’d like to try it but just haven’t had the opportunity yet.” She smiled at him but mentally put it on her list of “Things he had experienced that she hadn’t.” 

“Hopefully you’ll be able to go someday, it is a lot of fun and great exercise.” Sidney said, while in his head he was already thinking about checking the availability of Crowe’s chalet to take Charlotte skiing after Christmas, he would text him when they stopped so he could reserve a long weekend. “The restaurant is quite popular, but Crowe always keeps a table free in case he, myself or Babington pop in. The food is delicious.” 

“I look forward to trying it. Why do you use their surnames? Is it a kickback from your school days?” 

“Well, I was at school with Esther, but we weren’t friends. I met Crowe and Babington at university, we were all doing the same maths degree. I guess we’ve been doing it so long now we don’t notice it. Clinging to our youth, I guess. Crowe hates his first name, so everyone calls him Crowe. You’ve probably noticed that Esther calls Babington Dan, he doesn’t mind what you call him as long as it’s not Lord Babington.” Sidney chanced a glance at Charlotte whose eyes were wide in surprise. 

“Lord? Babington is a lord? That would make Esther Lady Babington. Shit, she never said anything when I called her Mrs.” Charlotte blushed, embarrassed by her mistake especially in front of Sidney

“She wouldn’t. They both hate all the pomp around their titles, they prefer to be treated the same as everyone else. Being a lord and lady does have its advantages though, they have a large estate in Hertfordshire and a house here, but they do a lot of the maintenance themselves and only have a small staff. Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. Please don’t feel uncomfortable about it. They really are just Babington and Esther, she obviously really likes you, she doesn’t have many girlfriends and the fact you were out together last night speaks volumes to me.” He reached over to take Charlotte’s hand in his own, he gently squeezed it and when she didn’t pull away, he felt his heart soar, he kept his hand on hers grateful that his car was an automatic. 

They drove the rest of the way holding hands, alternating between resting their joined hands on the other’s legs. They moved their chat to general, easier topics such as the weather, the landscape, music they liked and disliked, films they had seen and how well-behaved Mavis was, sleeping soundly on Charlotte’s lap. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the harbour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my inspiration for their looks for their date:  
> https://www.joebrowns.co.uk/unique-cord-pinafore-dress-we189?glCountry=GB&of_opi=MFRWG5B5GE2DCJTGMVSWISLEHU4CM4DSN5SESZB5GMZDMNBXGE&source=FreeClick 
> 
> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7558302/mediaviewer/rm2530382337/ 
> 
> https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahwu/2016/04/19/actor-theo-james-on-modern-scents-and-classic-cars/?sh=3ed37644ad18


	9. Saturday- Their date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this has taken so long to post, real life really kicked my butt the last 2 weeks and I didn't have any time to write. 
> 
> My poor hubby ended up in A&E twice, and needed some tlc. He's fine now but is a huge distraction when in the house. I can't be too mad at him as he provided the sock gift inspiration ❤ 
> 
> Thank you for all the wonderful comments, they make me super happy ❤❤
> 
> I just want to quickly thank my very good friend who reads these chapters, corrects my poor typing and grammar and holds my hand while I panic about whether it's worth reading! You are truly appreciated, thank you ❤
> 
> As always if you don't want to read the more explicit part stop at the ***** and pick up again at the ****
> 
> Thanks so much for reading

Sidney had to circle the small car park twice before finding a space, even though it was a cold December day the harbour was still full of people wandering around enjoying the strong winter sunshine that was casting long shadows wherever it touched a tree or an old stone building, creating beautiful patterns across the ground. 

“I’ll be right back.” Sidney looked at Charlotte, he found it difficult to understand how he could feel so comfortable with her considering how short a time he had known her. He had never been able to talk so easily with a female unless it had been in a work situation, then he had the numbers to comfort him and settle his mind on the task in front of him. With Charlotte the numbers had abandoned him when he had needed them the most, but somehow the simple act of holding her hand as he drove had had a far stronger effect on him. It had allowed him to anchor himself, in turn it had slowed his thought process, allowing him to be in the present, relaxing his mind to just let the words flow. He knew he needed to speak to her about his relationship with Eliza and the damage that it had caused himself and his family, but he wasn’t ready to shatter this safe haven bubble that they had created around them. He wanted today to just be about them, about getting to know each other better. As much as he had enjoyed the sex and was looking forward to exploring that side of their relationship more, he also knew he wanted, no needed to get to know more of her personality. 

While walking to the ticket machine, he gave his head a shake, he couldn’t believe he’d been able to talk so easily, he hadn’t clammed up, the conversation had flowed freely moving from one topic to the next smoothly without any awkwardness. Although he knew next to nothing about her, he was drawn to her like the sea is pulled to the shore, he knew he wanted and needed her in his life. He could just feel in his heart that she was the anchor he had been looking for, now he just had to find out if she felt the same or if he was getting himself into another worthless one-sided relationship. 

Charlotte was glad Sidney had reversed into the parking space, it had enabled her to watch him as he walked away from the car to the ticket machine, she could feel herself blush as she admired the way his jeans hugged his bum with just the right amount of tightness. She couldn’t fathom how she had managed to get a man like Sidney Parker to even speak to her, let alone get him into her bed and then take her out the next day. Charlotte sighed and stroked Mavis’s head while staring out the window at Sidney as he counted his change, she acknowledged the nerves in her stomach recognising how out of her depth she felt. He lived in a different world from her, from the brief details he had shared about his work to his stories about his time with his friends, everything was so different and on a much higher scale to anything she had experienced. Her life in Brighton had been exciting at the time, but on reflection she knew it was tame. As she hadn’t had a lot of spare money while she was studying, she was usually either at college or at her part time job, which was how she had meet Elliot. He had sat opposite her, at first his head would pop up over the pod divider to offer her a sweet or to offer to grab her a coffee. Then after a few weeks he’d asked her out for a drink at the end of their shift, he had made her laugh and feel safe. They had taken things slowly as she had admitted to him that she was a virgin and hadn’t really had a boyfriend before. Elliot had reassured her that he was happy to wait until she was ready. At the time she had thought he was waiting because he loved her, but at the end of their relationship she had found out he was happy waiting because he was getting sex elsewhere. Her biggest mistake had been to trust him, he had seen taking her virginity as some weird trophy and once he had won it the dates slowed to a trickle and they would spend most of their time sat in her tiny flat, eating her food and using her electricity as he’d always been tired from the gym. She should have ended it sooner, but the reality was she had been lonely and had thought Elliot was the answer. This time she had done the opposite, instead of taking it slowly she had rushed in headfirst. 

The drive to the harbour had been wonderful, she had felt at ease and listened to, Sidney made her feel that what she had to say mattered, that he was listening intently and storing each word away somewhere safe in his memory. She took a deep breath as she watched Sidney return to the car, Charlotte knew there was no escape today, and she knew as he opened the car door that she didn’t want to escape, but she needed to be a little cautious with her fragile heart. 

Charlotte wrapped her scarf around her neck, keeping her hair tucked in, and slipped her gloves on, the air here seemed even colder here than it had in Sanditon. The wind was already whipping up any loose strands of hair and blowing them into her face. Grasping Mavis’s lead with one hand Charlotte looked up at Sidney who had placed his own scarf around his neck, he looked like something out of a photographer's portfolio with his dark hair, dark navy coat, and his dark sunglasses on, she couldn’t believe she was here with him. She noticed a few women in the car park looking at them and giving him a look of appreciation, but she could tell he hadn’t even noticed, even with his sunglasses on she could tell his eyes were on her, devouring her and making her want to fidget again, she had never felt so wanted before, and as much as she wasn’t sure how to respond to his intense gaze, she found she liked it. 

Sidney watched as Charlotte looked around at the other people in the car park and fidgeted first by pulling her skirt down and then adjusting her scarf, she was breath takingly beautiful and was completely unaware of it. The way she had looked last night had captivated him, but her natural beauty today outshone any other women he had ever met before. He found he preferred her look than the overly made-up look of every other women he had in his acquaintance. He stretched out his hand to take her hand in his, clasping her small hand he was disappointed she had gloves on as he wanted to feel her skin against his own. 

They walked in silence towards the harbour, Sidney pointed out a few pubs he had visited before with his family but more often with Babington and Crowe. As they walked closer to the sea front Sidney pointed to a large two story building off to the left, closer to the cliffs and further away from the main hubbub of the harbour and explained that it was the restaurant they would eat in after their walk. He told Charlotte that Crowe had bought it a few years ago and renovated it, most of the floors had rotted away as the windows had long been broken allowing the sea air inside causing no end of damage. For Crowe it had been a labour of love that he would never admit to. He had left London for the best part of nine months to project manage every detail while complaining about how everything outside of London was so slow and how he couldn’t get a decent bottle of brandy unless he brought it here himself. Since the restaurant had been completed it had been very popular, with a great management team, meaning that Crowe could return to his accountancy job in London but after 2 months back in the city he had given it all up and looked for premises for a second restaurant further up the coast. He also had plans to open a boutique B&B in the building to the right of the restaurant. 

While Sidney talked, they had walked up the coastal path that had gradually gotten too narrow for them to walk hand in hand, so Charlotte walked in front while Sidney followed. Charlotte had let Mavis off the lead as there wasn’t anyone else around and the little dog usually stayed close by anyway. They had been walking a while when Sidney stopped and called to Charlotte that perhaps they should turn around as the light was fading and the sun would be setting shortly. Charlotte stopped and looked out at the water, wrapping her arms around herself suddenly feeling cold as the wind penetrated through her coat. 

Sidney walked closer to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, he took in the scent of her hair and felt himself relax, he had been unsure of whether to approach her, but as they stood together watching the sun slowly dip below the horizon casting bright pinks and yellows across the darkening sky he felt at ease and as though he had found the place he belonged. He feared rushing her, of rushing himself, normally he was so guarded, but he found that Charlotte had broken open his walls like they had been built of Lego and she was a full-sized wrecking ball. One night together had planted her firmly in his damaged heart, where she was healing it from the inside out. He sighed as he rested his chin on her head and felt her relax back into his chest, while Mavis sat at their feet. 

They stood until they could no longer see the sun, neither of them wanting to break the contact between them, the sky was still illuminated by its last remnant's, giving them an ethereal glow, while the sea continued to crash against the rocks below them. Slowly they walked back to the harbour eventually having to use the torches on their phones as the darkness closed in around them. 

As they entered the restaurant, they were immediately greeted by a host who smiled sweetly at Sidney as she looked at him from under her eyelashes flirtatiously before turning to glare at Charlotte. 

“If you follow me Mr. Parker, the usual table is free if that’s acceptable?” 

“Actually, Melanie is there a table free upstairs? Considering its so early it’s very busy tonight.” Sidney looked around taking in the long tables of party hat wearing patrons. 

“Yes, Mr. Crowe organised a special offer for Christmas parties, so we have 2 booked in at the moment and another one later this evening. Upstairs is empty. Follow me please.” Melanie sashayed away from them, swinging her hips as she walked. 

Sidney placed his hand on the small of Charlotte’s back and took Mavis’s lead from her hand. He gently steered her up the stairs and away from the boisterous singing that had just started up on one of the tables. He smiled as they reached the second floor, there was low level music playing, fairy lights were strung up in the potted indoor trees and around the blue wrought iron floor to ceiling roof struts. Melanie was busy lighting candles around the table and on it. Crowe most definitely knew what he was doing when he designed this place and created its ambience. Now the winter sun had set the large circular windows were black orbs next to the red brick work surrounding them. The room was set in the eves and the four corner roof trusses along with the curved ceiling gave the four tables an almost private feel to them. 

Sidney moved to pull the chair out for Charlotte while asking Melanie for some water for Mavis, he knew they kept dog bowls for water as during the summer months they were always scattered around the terrace. Melanie left two menus on the table and disappeared down the stairs, leaving them alone. 

Charlotte looked around her and couldn’t believe how beautiful the old industrial building looked, she wished they had arrived before the sun had set so she could have seen the views across the water. She made a note to come back another day with her sister when she visited in the new year. Although when she saw the prices, she thought it might only be for a drink rather than a meal. Charlotte scanned the menu and settled on the locally hand caught seared scallops with seasonal greens. Reaching down she stroked Mavis’s head and as she looked up again, she saw Sidney staring at her, they were sat at a round table and he had sat next to her. Charlotte smiled shyly at him as she straightened in her chair, the intensity of his gaze made her feel self-conscious, so she reached up to smooth her hair down while searching for a topic to break the tension. 

Just as she was about to speak Melanie bounded up the stairs bringing the water for Mavis and a note pad. Once their orders were taken and drinks had been placed on the table, they were finally alone again, laughing from downstairs drifted up briefly, but otherwise they felt they were secluded away from the world. 

They both looked at the other shyly, suddenly neither of them knew what to say, Sidney cleared his throat and placed his arms on the table leaning forward. 

“I hope you’re not too hungry, it’s a little later than I planned for eating.” He gave her a half smile as he lifted his glass of water, not taking his eyes away from her face. He could see the blush starting to spread up her neck and noticed her cheeks already had a rosy glow. He had seen it happen a few times when he had looked at her and decided he was rather fond of the effect he seemed to have on her, he may not blush quite as beautifully as she did under his gaze, but he felt himself twitch when she didn’t look away from him, returning his heated look with one of her own. 

“I am a little hungry, I think it’s because I can smell the food from downstairs. Your friend has a wonderful place here.” Charlotte replied looking around. 

“Yes, he was fortunate to buy it at the right time.” Sidney sighed he was really struggling to come up with an interesting topic as all the ease he felt earlier had fallen away. “It’s meant to be raining tomorrow, so it’s good we came out today for a walk.” He looked away, clenching his jaw, and silently cursing himself for talking about the weather, she really would think he was dull if he continued in this manner. “Although it being a Sunday it’s not too much of a worry.” He cringed at his own words. 

Charlotte laughed gently at his awkwardness; she would never have guessed that the stern, overly confident man she had met in the car park a week ago would be struggling to make conversation now. She reached across the table and placed her hand on his clenched fist. “Wet Sundays are my favourite, especially at this time of year. My only plan for tomorrow is to walk Mavis and then sit on the sofa watching Christmas movies all afternoon.” She smiled looking at their hands for he had somehow managed to turn his hand, so he was now holding hers gently with their fingers interlaced. 

From this point on the conversation flowed, only interrupted by the delivery of their food. Sidney relaxed and told her about how angry his brother had been that Crowe had opened the restaurant here rather than in Sanditon. Sidney also told her about how he liked to escape on his bike for long rides across the English countryside, because his mind focused solely on the road, he told her how before Babington had gotten married, they would disappear for weeks at a time on their bikes. Charlotte in turn told Sidney about growing up on her parent's farm, her love for walking and her passion for baking cakes. 

“What made you decide on becoming a masseuse?” Sidney asked Charlotte before placing a mussel in his mouth. 

“Ah well, my father and brothers were always complaining about muscular aches and pains when I lived at home, I started to research techniques online and would help them as much as I could. Then I found the course in Brighton, I have done other courses alongside my main qualification, so I can use the hot stones, like I did for you yesterday, but I also have aromatherapy knowledge so I can mix my own oils. It’s an ongoing thing. I see my teacher once a month for a massage, so he updates me then.” 

“You massage him? Or do you mean you get a massage?” 

“He gives me a massage, he’s very good. After helping everyone else with their aches and pains I need a little of help myself. I get very stiff.” Charlotte shrugged, lots of her fellow students were now Steve’s clients, it killed two birds with one stone, have a massage and get an update on anything industry related. 

“Perhaps I could help you with that?” Sidney looked sideways at her, bashfully and gave her a half smile, it had the effect he was after, she blushed and lowered her head. What he didn’t expect was for her to look up through her lashes, lick her full bottom lip and pull it into her mouth before leaning closer to him. He swallowed, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, he could feel his heart beating faster and his cock twitching. She really made him feel like a horny teenager, all he could think of was sweeping everything off the table, laying her across it and making her moan his name like she had the night before. 

As Charlotte leaned closer with far more confidence than she felt she whispered “Maybe you can.” She leaned back letting her eyes run down from Sidney's face to his hand resting on the table, before slowly turning her head away, sucking her lip as she reached for her glass of wine. Charlotte didn’t dare look at Sidney, she could feel the intensity of his look without seeing it. She fought the urge to fidget, instead she looked at him sideways and smiled, trying to beat him at his own game. As she did, she felt her chair slide closer to him and his hand at the back of her head. His lips crashed against her own and she struggled with what to do with her wine glass, all she wanted to do was drop it so she could put her hands on him, in his hair, anywhere so she could just touch him. 

Pulling back, they both blushed, but kept their chairs close together. Melanie returned to take their plates away and soon placed desserts on the table with their ordered coffees. They were sat so close that their shoulders touched as they moved to eat their cheesecake, as they drank their coffees their heads moved ever closer, neither of them noticing the restaurant filling up around them as the evening diners came in, both were too lost in the other, talking about nothing and everything all at once. 

Eventually they left the restaurant and walked slowly to the car, allowing Mavis time to stretch her legs before the journey home. As they reached the car Sidney stepped closer to Charlotte and she rested her bum lightly against the car door. Sidney leaned in to kiss her, the cold wind whipped around them but neither of them felt it as the heat built between them, Sidney moved his head back and swept Charlotte's hair behind her ear and leaned his forehead against hers. “Come home with me” his voice was low, deep, and hoarse with emotion. 

Charlotte kissed his lips quickly, “I’d really like to, but I have to feed Mavis.” Sidney breathed out heavily, then kissed her again. Charlotte felt her knees buckle as Sidney pressed himself closer against her, his arousal between them, he deepened the kiss further as she clung to him. “You could come to mine.” She breathed out against his lips, she didn’t want the date to end, she didn’t want to be away from this man who a week ago she hadn’t known but now felt like he had been part of her life, part of her for so much longer. 

Charlotte felt bereft as Sidney moved away and reached for the door handle. 

“I don’t really want to run the risk of Mrs. Barnes seeing my car.” Sidney stepped back further and opened the door for Charlotte and Mavis to get in, as she sat down, she felt disappointment settle in her stomach, looking at Mavis as she settled on her lap. “How about we stop in the supermarket? There’s one on the main road just up from here, we could stop to get some food for Mavis and whatever else you both might need to stay at mine tonight.” Charlotte smiled up at Sidney and nodded. Sidney practically ran around the car, starting the engine as he put his seat belt on, putting the car in drive before reaching for her hand and placing their joined hands on his thigh. 

Parking the car in the supermarket car park Sidney undid his seat belt and turned to look at Charlotte. “I’ll come in with you, will Mavis be OK on her own in the car?” 

“Yes, she’ll be fine if we leave the window open a little. You don’t need to come in, I’ll be Ok.” 

Sidney turned in his seat so he could see her face properly, “Ok, I’m just going to say it and be glad we’re almost in semi darkness although the car isn’t the best place for this conversation.” He laughed quietly, as he saw Charlottes eyes widen as she looked at him and took her hand back in his, slowly stroking his thumb along the back of her hand. “OK, I need to get some condoms, I’m not saying we have to have sex, I just thought it would be sensible to have some in the house. I mean, I know I don’t have anything, I got tested after my last partner but as you bought some last night, I’m assuming you’re not on the pill or anything similar.” 

“I got tested after my ex too, it was kind of a necessity as he’d been sleeping around.” Charlotte shrugged and looked out the window as she saw Sidney grimace as she spoke, he increased the pressure on her thumb to reassure her. “But no, I’m not on the pill, or anything. Erm I can’t take the pill.” Charlotte looked down, she pulled her hand out of Sidney's and stroked along Mavis’s back. “I’ve tried lots of them, from the mini pill to the combined pill, the injection and the implant. I had loads of issues and it’s just not something my GP recommends for me and I’m kind of just giving my body a rest. I’m really sorry.” 

“Hey, why are you saying sorry? Charlotte look at me, it’s no big issue to use condoms, we just need to get some.” Sidney took her hand and was glad to see her look at him as he kissed the back of her hand. “The way I see it is, we’re in this together, and if I need to wear a condom to be with you then I will. Let’s just hope they have a lot in stock, because if you keep looking at me like that, we’re going to need a few boxes.” He leaned over and captured her smiling lips with his and kissed her gently. “Come on let’s go.” 

As they drove up the lane to Sidney's house the rain started hitting the windscreen hard. Sidney told Charlotte to stay in the car while he opened the front door, he grabbed an umbrella and ran back to get Charlotte and Mavis. 

“I’ll stay out here with Mavis for a minute, if you go down the hall to the second door on the left the kitchen is in there. There's wine in the fridge, help yourself.” 

Mavis scuttled around the front garden, sniffing every blade of grass before finally walking slowly towards Sidney, satisfied with what she had seen, she ran in the house, leaving muddy footprints along his wooden floor. Sidney sighed, he liked the little dog, but he wasn’t quite sure his house was ready for the mess she would inevitably cause. 

When he walked into the kitchen with a towel for Mavis, Charlotte had already placed the food for Mavis on the floor next to the central island and was sat on the large sofa near the French windows. She was looking out at the darkness, watching the rain as it hit the glass and rolled down the window. The only light in the room coming from a small lamp on the table behind her. 

“Hey” Sidney said softly as he swallowed deeply, he had never brought a woman, other than Mary and Diana, to his home, it was his sanctuary and he hadn’t wanted to bring any one night stands here, ruining the calmness he had created but looking at Charlotte he knew he had done the right thing allowing her to see his home, to be in his space and to see him. 

She turned to look at him and smiled “Hey, thanks for sorting her out. Sorry about the footprints.” 

“No problem, do you want a glass of wine?” Charlotte nodded as Sidney finished rubbing Mavis down. 

Sidney turned the stereo on and selected a play list on his iPod that was docked on it. He walked over to Charlotte to give her the wine. Sitting down next to her, she leaned her back into his side as he lifted his arm around her. She rested the side her head against his shoulder as she continued watching the rain run down the window, Sidney did the same while absently stroking her arm that was near his, his thumb occasionally grazing her breast. 

Charlotte could feel his thumb gently touch her breast with every breath she took, she could feel the heat building between her legs, already calling for more of his touch. Drinking down the last of her wine she sat up and placed the glass on the table at the end of the sofa. As she went to lean back, she turned to look at Sidney, the lamp beside him was giving off a soft glow, causing a slight halo around him. Charlotte leaned closer and kissed him, softly at first but as he responded she deepened the kiss. With his one had behind her back and his other holding his wine glass Charlotte was in control and she liked it. She got up from the sofa and took Sidney's glass from him, drank his wine, and placed the glass down. 

***************************************************************** 

Charlotte placed one knee either side of Sidney's legs and straddled him, as she kissed him, she pushed her hands under his jumper, slowly running her fingers up his stomach to his chest and then back down again, before resting on his belt. As she kissed him, she undid his belt painstakingly slowly, she could feel his hands on her thighs, gently squeezing them with each slow movement she made. He seemed to understand that she needed him to stay still and let her be in control. As she undid his zip, moving the jeans apart she pulled back from kissing him and could see his cock straining against his boxers. She lifted herself up and off his lap so he could pull his trousers down and kick them to the side. She reached for the cushion which was next to him. Once he had freed himself from his clothes, she placed the cushion on the floor between his feet and knelt in front of him. Never taking her eyes off his face she saw his Adams apple bob as he swallowed, staring back at her in the low light, his already dark eyes now completely black. 

As she leaned forward, she took his cock in her hand, while still watching him she licked the tip of it, before slowly running her tongue down to the base. Sidney moaned, his hands in fists beside his legs, determined not to touch her and let her do as she pleased to him, enjoying someone else being in control for a change. Charlotte ran her tongue back to the tip of his cock and with one last look at his face through her eyelashes she took him into her mouth, closing her eyes she heard him moan again as she returned to his tip sucking lightly as she went. Charlotte repeated this a few times, moaning as she took his full length in, feeling him throb again her tongue, knowing he was getting closer. Charlotte slowly dragged her lips up his length and licked the tip of his wet cock once more as she did, she looked up at him, with a smile on her lips. She had never felt so confident as she did seeing his face, the pleasure she was giving him clear across his features. 

Sidney didn’t want her to stop but he didn’t want to come in her mouth he wanted to be inside her experiencing the pleasure together. He pulled her up on to his lap, so she was straddling him again. He kissed her, thrusting his tongue into her mouth, he needed to get her clothes off so he could return the pleasure she had given him. He tried to undo the pinafore clasp, but it wasn’t possible with one hand. 

Charlotte stood up, she raised her hands and undid one clasp at a time, then slowly pushed it down her hips, letting it drop to the floor. Sidney silently watched her as she rolled her tights slowly down, bending at the waist, how he wished she would turn around so he could see her bum, finally lifting her feet out of the tights before standing up straight to lift her top up slowly exposing more smooth skin as she pulled it over her head. Sidney kept his eyes on hers until she dropped her top to the floor, slowly he lowered his eyes to take in her white sheer bra that showed her pink erect nipples as they pushed against the fabric begging for his attention. His eyes wandered lower to her knickers, he could tell from how they were positioned on her hips that Charlotte was wearing a thong, the material matching her bra. He swallowed as he closed his eyes to steady his breathing. When he opened them, Charlotte had hooked her thumbs in the material on her hips, she slowly wiggled out of them allowing them to slide slowly down her legs. As she stepped out of them, he could feel his cock throb with the need to be inside her, she was beautiful, she was everything he had dreamed of and she was stood in front of him. He lifted his hand to beckon her to him, Charlotte moved forward to take his hand and placed a knee either side of his legs again, kissing his waiting lips and driving her fingers into his hair as she settled on his lap once more. 

Sidney’s hands were resting on her hips, but he couldn’t keep them there long, he moved one up to take her breast in his palm, before rubbing her nipple with his thumb and he watched as her nipple stiffened further, her breath hitching at the feeling. Charlotte lifted her hands from his hips and undid her bra, slipped her arms out and threw it on the floor. She leaned forward to kiss him and tugged on the hem of his jumper, he sat up, so together they could take off the last item of clothing between them. 

Crashing his lips against hers, Sidney pulled her hips closer to him, he knew he wouldn’t last long like this, her being in control was driving him to the edge and he wasn’t even inside her yet, he hoped the more they did this the longer he would be able to last, she was more than he had ever encountered before, she turned him on to the point of distraction just by walking in a room so he really had no hope when she was sat on his lap, grinding herself along the length of his cock, coating him with her juices and allowing him to take her breasts in his mouth as she flung her head back moaning at his touch. He knew they were both lost in the moment, with him running his tongue between her breasts and up her neck reveling in the goosebumps that appeared. They needed to slow things down briefly before they got too carried away. He pulled her head forward to rest her forehead against his. “Charlotte, we need a condom.” Charlotte leaned over to the bag on the floor which he hadn’t noticed when he first sat down, she pulled out the box, quickly undoing the cellophane wrapping and pulling out the silver packet. She opened it slowly, she lifted herself up and he steadied her with his hands on her hips as she rolled the condom on. Looking up at him, she sucked on her lip. Charlotte moved forward, to get his cock lined up with her entrance, a few movements of her hips and she slid down his length, her heat engulfing him fully. They both moaned in pleasure as she slowly started rocking her hips against him. She angled her hips with his cock buried deep inside as she rubbed her clit against him, her hands on his shoulders as she found the right rhythm, Sidney was in awe of her as she threw her head back exposing her throat to him again. He kissed and sucked her skin on the sensitive areas on her neck and ran his hand from her neck down her throat and to her breasts, the noises that escaped her turned him on further. He bit her nipple before sucking it further into his mouth as she rode him to her orgasm, he knew he wouldn’t be far behind her. With her head now forward and sucking his lip, Sidney put his hands on her hips and helped her lift herself up, so she was at the tip of his cock before pulling her back down fully on him, as the pleasure began to build again in Charlotte, she took over the movements, her nails digging in his shoulders as she continued the fast pace that Sidney had set. Her breast brushing his lips until he captured her nipple once more, sucking hard he groaned out his pleasure as she pulled his orgasm from him. 

Sidney moved his hand from her hips, and placed them on either side of her face, their lips joined and tongues swirling, he could feel her clench around him as a second orgasm hit her body. Slowing their kissing Charlotte rested her chest against Sidney’s, her forehead against his and his cock still inside her, their breathing slowly began to return to normal. 

Charlotte could feel Sidney smile, she felt his eyebrows lift as he did. Charlotte felt herself blush, she had never been so bold before, even though she had been with Elliot a while she had never had the confidence to do what she had just done with Sidney. She had never been the one to take the initiative and had never had such intense orgasms as she had had with Sidney so far. Charlotte sagged against Sidney, she didn’t want to move; she knew she was where she was meant to be. 

**************************************************************** 

Sidney kissed her head and smiled; Babington had been right he had met his match in every way possible. He moved himself to the edge of the sofa, placed his arms around Charlotte and as he stood up, he felt himself slip out of her, she circled her legs around him as he walked towards the stairs. 

“This is becoming a habit Miss Heywood.” Sidney said as he carried her up the stairs. 

“It is Mr. Parker, but this time I’ve brought the box.” Charlotte smiled as Sidney laughed loudly, while kicking open his bedroom door. 

In the kitchen Mavis clambered up on the now empty sofa, curled up in a ball and went to sleep, just as she heard Charlotte moan from upstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some music I listened to while writing this chapter......my hubby is very happy I wear headphones when I type, especially when I sing out loud very badly 😂😂
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86vX41mcbaY
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBmNcLBaPUE
> 
> Thanks again for reading ❤❤❤


	10. Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after the night before

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely comments, kudos and well wishes. The Mr is doing well and is back on his feet, you made is week by including him in your comments.
> 
> Hope you're all well and enjoying the festive period if that's your thing.
> 
> Here's the next chapter, enjoy

Charlotte woke up to unexpected bright sunlight streaming across the room, she turned over expecting to see Sidney lying next to her, but the bed was empty. Charlotte sat up pulling the covers with her to look around the room, it was an exceptionally large room with huge floor to ceiling windows covering the one wall completely. Everything was incredibly neat and tidy, but there was a feeling of calm in the room. The wall colour was a soft green, there were no curtains or blinds, and the bedspread was plain white. Charlotte could see the carpet was soft, she had yet to put her feet on it as Sidney had carried her to the bed and she hadn’t left it since. There was only a chest of drawers on the one wall, where there was a collection of framed photographs, Charlotte slipped out of bed to look at them, wrapping the quilt around her. There were photos of Sidney as a child with what Charlotte assumed were his parents and siblings, a few of Sidney with Babington and Crowe and a couple of four young children with a smiling Sidney in the middle, Charlotte guessed they were his brother's children. Moving towards the windows Charlotte could see Sidney stood in the garden holding a mug in one hand while he spoke on the phone. Mavis was running about enjoying the much larger garden than they had at home, in fact it looked like the garden only stopped when the cliff dropped away. Mavis was certainly happy in her surroundings as was Charlotte, from Sidney's hand gesture and him almost spilling his coffee in the process Charlotte could tell he wasn’t quite so happy. 

Turning away from the window Charlotte looked around for something to put on, she had left her clothes downstairs and although the room was warm, she didn’t feel quite confident enough to run down the stairs naked even after everything they had done the night before. 

Opening the first door she found a shower room, closing that door she tried the second door where she found a walk-in wardrobe. Sidney's scent was stronger in this room and invaded her senses as she stepped inside making her shiver as she tried find something to put on. Running her hand along the neatly hung shirts and suits Charlotte walked to the opposite end of the closet and found Sidney’s casual clothes. Selecting a hoody and a pair of shorts from the rail she went back into the main bedroom to dress. 

Charlotte walked into the kitchen to see Sidney was still outside, the door was open, but she could see he was still on the phone. Charlotte looked around and saw her clothes had been picked up and placed on the sofa neatly. Seeing that made her wonder how long Sidney had been awake, she turned to look at him as though his back could give her the answer she sought. They had spent most of the night awake exploring each other's bodies, caressing each other, and whispering sweet nothings to each other. 

Sidney was by far a better lover than Elliot had been, each time they had had sex Sidney made sure she had as much, if not more pleasure as he did. He was tender and gentle but also had a confident, strong touch, seeming to know intuitively what she wanted and just how she would like it. She was sure she’d had more orgasms last night that she had in the 3 years that she had been sleeping with Elliot. 

Feeling a blush creep up her neck she turned away from the door and switched on the kettle. She sat down on the sofa to check her phone. Opening her messages, she had a couple from her sister, which wasn’t unusual and a text from Esther. 

Esther: Hi Charlotte, sorry I didn’t check it in with you yesterday, I’m an awful friend! Dan spoke with Sidney who said he dropped you home safely 😉. If you’re free later, say about 3pm lets get a coffee. Let me know asap. 

Charlotte stared at her phone, she wasn’t sure she was ready to see Esther, she was enjoying being in her bubble with Sidney, although they hadn’t made any firm plans to spend the day together, she hoped that they would. She knew he was leaving for London the next day and wouldn’t be back until Friday afternoon. The thought made tears spring to her eyes, she felt that although they had only just found each other he was part of her, she wasn’t ready to part with him so soon after such an intense weekend. All her thoughts about protecting her heart and pulling back had gone out the window as he had stroked her skin in the dark, brushing her hair away from her face all while gazing into her eyes, never once breaking eye contact even as their pleasure overtook them. It confused Charlotte that after only knowing him a week that she felt such a strong need to be near him, to feel his touch and to have his voice caress her as they talked. 

Mavis ran in and placed her front paws on Charlotte’s knees causing her to look up from her phone, stroking the little dog’s head she looked up towards the open door where Sidney was walking through. His jaw was clenched, and she could see how tense his shoulders were, this wasn’t the Sidney she had grown accustomed to. She gave him a small smile as he dropped his phone on to the island before bending to lean his forearms on the surface, placing his head in his hands. 

Charlotte was a little unsure what to do, but felt he needed her, she stood and walked over to him. She placed her hand on his lower back and pulled herself close into his side, rubbing her hand up and down his tense back. He moved to lean his head against hers. 

“Hey” His voice was low, more of a whisper as he breathed out the single word. 

“Hey, are you OK? All my good work seems to have gone out the window from the feel of this shoulder” Charlotte joked trying to lighten the mood a little. Sidney shifted his position, he leaned his back against the island and pulled Charlotte flush to his front, taking her in properly for the first time, half buried in his jumper. 

“This looks good on you.” He grinned at her, pleased that she had helped herself to his clothes, it made him happy that she felt comfortable enough to explore his home, just like he had when he had been in hers. He leaned his head down to give her a quick kiss, as she tilted her head up, he placed his hands on her bum to tighten his hold on her, he felt her raise on to her tip toes and she lifted her arms to weave her fingers into his hair. As much as he wanted to deepen the kiss, he knew he couldn’t not unless he carried her up the stairs again. Not that he would mind doing that, but he needed some food first. He made a note to buy a few more boxes of condoms and place them strategically in different rooms in case they were needed. Pulling his head back slightly he placed his forehead on hers, enjoying the gentle pressure she was applying to the back of his head and neck. He closed his eyes as she continued to work his muscles gently. 

“You’re very tense, do you want me to give you a massage? “Charlotte asked him, opening his eyes to look at her Sidney shook his head. 

“As good as that sounds, I think we’d better have some breakfast first.” He winked at her before loosening his grip and moving away without properly making eye contact. Sidney needed to keep moving, his call with Tom had gone the way they always do. Tom bombarding Sidney with hundreds of ideas and Sidney losing his temper. Today Tom wanted an extra £5,000 for decorations, almost doubling the budget Sidney and Babington had set for the New Year’s ball. After Sidney had finally convinced Tom they wouldn’t authorise the amount Tom then bated Sidney about the rumours he had heard about him leaving the wine bar on Friday with Charlotte. Although thankfully Tom confirmed no one seemed to know who the brunette was, Sidney knew it wouldn’t take long for Charlotte’s identity to be revealed, especially with Mrs. Barnes knowing. 

This confirmed that he needed to tell Charlotte about his past so she would hear the truth from him rather than the fabricated lies that floated around town about him, that even Tom seemed to believe. He pulled out the frying pan and some bacon, as he did, he turned to look at Charlotte who had moved to stand in front of the window. Her small, perfect, curvy frame dwarfed in his hoody, with her thick hair piled high on her head, she looked so relaxed and at home in his home he couldn’t believe he’d shied away from this kind of relationship for so long, but perhaps he reasoned with himself that he had done so because he hadn’t met Charlotte before. He didn’t want to spoil their time together, but he knew he was leaving for London the next morning, which meant if she heard it from someone else, he wouldn’t be able to explain or defend himself in person. Sighing loudly, he started to run through possible scenarios of how she would react. He knew her ex-boyfriend had cheated on her as she’d told him in the car. He hoped she wouldn’t think he was the same as her idiot ex. Each scenario always ended the same way with Charlotte leaving upset and telling him she didn’t want to see him again. 

“Fuck” Sidney muttered loudly making Charlotte jump. This was why he hated Sanditon, if this had happened in London no-one would know or even bat an eyelid at the two of them leaving a bar together. Taking a deep breath, he wished he had time to speak to Mary or even Esther about how to deal with this. Damn Tom and his early Sunday morning calls. Sidney was more annoyed at himself for his past than at Tom, but Tom usually helped fan the flames when he heard any of the rumours start up again. Tom seemed to enjoy telling people about Sidney's exploits as though they were something to be proud of. In Sanditon it was shameful behaviour but in the bigger world sleeping with a few women after being drunk wasn’t such a big deal. Fuck Sanditon and its small, minded people Sidney thought to himself angrily, although he knew it was a more than just sleeping with a few women that he needed to tell Charlotte about and that thought scared him. 

Plating up the food Sidney sighed. He decided he was just going to start at the beginning and go from there. He called Charlotte over to the island and pulled out a stool for her. 

“I need to talk to you.” Sidney stated while he looked at his bacon sandwich. 

“Oh, everything OK?” Sidney’s whole manner had changed this morning and it was making Charlotte feel nervous and insecure. Although they hadn’t really talked of much the night before they had shared intimate details about themselves, revealing small parts of their personalities to each other. Charlotte had told Sidney that she had only had one sexual relationship, she’d had 2 boyfriends before she’d left Willingden, the first was when she had been 15 and the other had been at 20, they had been friends before and just stumbled into kissing but never took the relationship any further than that. Now Charlotte was worried Sidney wouldn’t want her as she was so inexperienced. 

“Yes and no.” Sidney put his sandwich down and ran his hand through his hair. He looked up at her and gave her a half smile before dropping his eyes again “I just spoke to my brother, Tom. He was in the supermarket yesterday and one of the local women approached him to ask if he knew who I’d gone home with the night before.” Sidney looked up at Charlotte again, who was now staring at her sandwich while pulling the bread to pieces. “That in itself isn’t an issue as they don’t know who you are, but it won’t take long for them to find out especially as Mrs. Barnes knows. I don’t want them to be bitches to you. I’ll speak to Esther and get her to contact you if that’s OK? She will know what to do better than I will, she’s in their inner circle even if she doesn’t want to be. I’ve got to go to London tomorrow so I’m leaving you with the fallout” Sidney blurted out. 

“Esther has already contacted me today about meeting up this afternoon, I’ll text her in a bit. It’s fine don’t worry; how bad can it be?” Charlotte asked innocently. 

Sidney reached over and took her hand to stop her breaking the bread up any further. 

“They can be pretty relentless, not to sound big headed, as I actually hate it, but I’m seen as a good catch to local well to do women. It’s ridiculous and such an outdated way to behave. For some reason they think I need a wife and parade their daughters in front of me. I don’t tend to go out in the evenings in Sanditon except to the private club with Babington or Crowe, it’s just too ridiculous the way they behave.” Sidney couldn’t believe he was explaining this to Charlotte, he felt like some sort of pompous arse in a period drama, and he felt embarrassed by it. Clearing his throat, he spoke again. “Plus, there’s more I need to tell you. It’s not something I’m proud of but you need to know.” Sidney stood up and walked to the sink placing his plate and discarded sandwich in it before turning around to face Charlotte. “OK, I’m just going to say it. I made a huge mess when I moved back here when my marriage broke down. I drank too much, I’d start fights in the pub, and I slept with a lot of women and didn’t ever call them back. Then one night I decided to drive my car while drunk. I’d been so angry with Tom that I needed to get out of the house, it was raining and cold so took the car instead of walking. It was a really, really stupid thing to do.” Sidney paused, he didn’t dare look at Charlotte but could tell she was watching him closely, he dragged his hand over his face before placing it back on to kitchen unit beside him. “Anyway, I wrapped my car around a tree, thankfully no one was hurt except myself. A few broken ribs and a bruised ego later, I cleaned up my act. I stopped drinking, stopped going out, didn’t date anyone and ignored all the women I had slept with. I needed a new slate but in such a small place it’s difficult.” Sidney looked up at Charlotte. “I’m sorry.” Sidney gripped the kitchen unit so tight his knuckles were white. He hated bringing up his past especially as he had finally started to move forward. 

Charlotte was surprised at all that Sidney had said, she hadn’t known he’d been married, that was the bit that Charlotte needed to digest the most, they were at different ends of the playing field and that’s what would affect how they moved forward. The one-night stands weren’t great and the way he’d ignored them didn’t add anything positive to his character either. The drink driving had obviously been a huge error, but Sidney had shown yesterday that it was one he would never repeat. 

As Charlotte looked at Sidney, she could see in his face the shame he felt, and she knew the things he had done in the past were behind him and had moulded him into the kind, if a little abrupt person he was today. She stood up and walked to him, stepping in front of him she made him look at her, she gave him a small smile. Then she leaned herself against his body, she slipped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. She felt him circle her with his arms and his hard chest relaxed slightly at her touch. 

“I have a few questions.” Charlotte whispered into his chest. 

“I’ll answer them the best I can.” Sidney squeezed her a little tighter, concerned what she may ask. He’d given her a lot of information all in one go and wasn’t sure what she would pick up on first. 

“How long were you married and are you divorced or just separated?” 

Sidney smiled, that was an easy but important question to start with “I was married for too long, 9 years but I left her after 6 years. I’m divorced, it was finalised 5 years ago.” Charlotte sagged against him tightening her arms slightly around his waist. 

“When was the last time you had a one-night stand with someone in Sanditon?” Charlotte felt herself blush at this question. She didn’t really want to know but depending how recent it was might depend how badly the women of the town might treat her. 

Sidney rested his chin on her head and sighed “In Sanditon it was about 4 years ago.” He felt Charlotte stiffen slightly in his arms. 

“Oh, so more recently elsewhere?” Charlotte whispered. 

“Not so much of a one-night stand, it was more of a sex only relationship, that ended about a year ago and it was a woman in London, it only lasted a few months and she’s very unlikely to ever come to Sanditon. Charlotte I was lonely and looked for comfort in the wrong place. It didn’t mean anything; it was just sex and the woman involved knew that from the beginning.” He could feel her loosening her grip on his waist with every word, until she had pulled herself free and walked away from him towards the window. Her arms wrapped around her waist, hugging herself as she digested his words. 

Sidney didn’t know what to do, he was frozen to the spot he desperately wanted to comfort her, to pull her to him and tell her what had happened with her wasn’t the same as anything he’d ever experienced before, not even with Eliza. He wanted to explain that although he feared letting her in further, of sharing his life with her, of depending on her and her depending on him and whether he was strong enough to be the man she truly deserved, he was more terrified of her walking away from him and taking his heart with her, never to return to him. That he had never wanted to be a better man for anyone other than her, that after knowing her for just over a week and spending two nights with her, he knew that he would never be happy with anyone else, and as much as that alarmed him, he found it excited him more.


	11. Sunday continued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sidney and Charlotte continue to talk. Charlotte learns even more about Sidney and his past.
> 
> There's a lunch and Crowe is invited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all the comments and kudos and of course for reading.
> 
> I hope you are all keeping warm and well. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this slightly longer than usual chapter

Charlotte watched as the rain started hitting the window, the light had changed from brilliant winter sunshine to being almost dark with black angry clouds rolling in from above the sea. She could tell the wind had picked up as well, the few flowers and bushes in the garden were being blown about quite wildly. The dark weather mirroring the change of atmosphere in the room. 

Charlotte knew she was being a bit irrational, at 36 there was every chance that Sidney would have been married before and if she were honest if he had been a virgin at his age, she might have found it a bit strange. A man as good looking as him would never be short of a partner. 

She lifted her hand and placed her finger against the windowpane and followed a rain drop as it ran down the glass. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she realised she just wanted to know how he felt about her, she needed to know if he sees this as a weekend of fun and no more. Charlotte was fairly certain he didn’t. They had only spent 3 hours apart since Friday evening and even if she’d never had a one-night stand before, she knew they didn’t usually last this long. 

Taking another deep breath, she breathed in his scent that was lingering on the hoody she was wearing and felt a calmness wash over her. She knew she wanted this man in her life, she just needed to decide is she was ready to take the leap and trust her feelings as well as him. She didn’t want to go through a similar experience as she did with Elliot, he had really damaged her confidence and her ability to trust others, she had found she’d even started questioning her friends and their loyalty. The only people she felt she could trust without question were her family. Charlotte was very close with her younger sister Alison and her mum; her two brothers were great as well, but she had a slightly different relationship with them. The four of them were always there for each other, but not in the same way as Charlotte and Alison were. 

“Did you cheat on your wife?” Charlotte asked quietly breaking the silence between them. 

“What? No, no I didn’t. I’m not that kind of man. If I’m in a relationship I’m all in.” Sidney wasn’t really surprised she’d asked him that, after her experience with Elliot she was bound to be unsure of starting a new relationship, especially with a brute like himself. 

Charlotte nodded in response but kept her back to him, she felt braver like this, she knew if she turned around, she would lose her confidence to ask her next question. “Why did your marriage end?” 

“We weren’t compatible. We met while at university. In my final year, my dad died unexpectedly, and everything changed. Suddenly Tom was head of the family and he started to pressure me to marry Eliza. Her father owns an international hotel chain and it turned out that he had promised Tom he’d invest in our hotel here if I married Eliza. I didn’t know this at the time, the night I crashed the car was the night I found out.” Sidney stopped speaking, the night of the accident running through his mind. Pulling himself sharply out of the memory before it overtook him, he looked over to Charlotte who had now turned to look at him. “We were married at age 22. I had just gotten a position in a prestigious accountancy firm in Canary Wharf, it was my dream job and I thought I was extremely lucky to have gotten it. I also found out that night that that had been organised by her father too. Due to her family's celebrity status, we attended many society functions, and it became increasingly obvious I was just there to stand and look pretty on Eliza’s arm. Don’t get me wrong, at first, I enjoyed it, I drove a brand-new top of the range sports car. I managed to buy a few houses in London to help my pension but the longer it continued the more I hated it and the less time we spent together. We had put too much emphasis on material things and not enough on love. Before I left London, I changed jobs, to one which meant I could work remotely. I moved in with Tom and Mary and started divorce proceedings.” As he finished speaking, he sagged further against the unit and ran his hand through his hair before dragging it down his face. He felt exhausted and was sure it showed on his face, he never usually shared so much of his history or of himself in one go. He didn’t tell strangers of all he had done, the walls he had built usually meant he didn’t have to as he never let anyone close enough. 

He looked up in time to see Charlotte wipe a tear away from her cheek. In a few strides he was stood in front of her but stopped himself from reaching out to her. “Hey, why are you crying? Please don’t say you want to leave.” He wanted to pull her to him but had already exposed himself more than he was comfortable with, walking over to her had taken the last ounce of his courage. 

Charlotte couldn’t believe what Sidney had just told her, it sounded like a film plot not a life story. He had been through so much hurt and betrayal, it was no wonder when she had met him that he had been so rough and off hand. 

Charlotte stood looking at his face and decided she was going to take that leap; she was going to give him her heart and if he didn’t want it then at least she had been allowed to see part of his soul. She wasn’t going to run, his past seemed complicated compared to her own and as much as she wanted to delve in to ask more questions, she knew he had given all he could right now. His face was pale and drawn, she recognised his need for comfort and she was willing to give it to him. 

She stepped forward to close the small gap between them. She cupped his face with her hand and then ran her hand through his hair, gently pulling him down so she could kiss him. 

As their lips touched slowly and a little hesitantly the passion between them ignited. No words were needed to understand what would happen next. 

Charlotte tightened her grip in his hair tugging slightly as she felt him pull her closer to his firm chest. As the kiss deepened, she moved her arms to lift the hem of his jumper, he stepped back slightly as he helped her pull it over his head. Charlotte let go of the fabric quickly, she needed to touch his skin, she ran her hands down the firm ridges of his abs and felt his muscles twitch under her touch. Once his jumper had been dropped to the floor Charlotte stepped closer and ran her nails up his back before once again tugging his hair so he would drop his head for her to kiss his soft full lips. 

Sidney obliged by kissing her thoroughly enjoying her soft moans as he held her firmly against him. The hoody she was wearing had gone from looking good to being frustratingly thick. He lifted his hands from her bum and pulled the offending item quickly up over her head, dropping it to the floor by their feet. His breath caught as he saw she was braless. Her full pert breasts with her milky smooth skin and pink hard nipples beckoned to him, calling him ever closer. Her chest was moving quickly, and he could see she was fighting the urge to turn away, even though he had worshipped every inch of her the night before he found it endearing that she still felt shy under his gaze. Charlotte certainly had nothing to be embarrassed about, her breasts were exquisite, and Sidney was bewitched as he watched her breathe. 

Sidney stepped closer to her and stooped down, as his hands went behind her knees Charlotte gasped and he captured the sweet sound in his mouth, he lifted her up, their chests now flush against each other, their soft skin warming each other. With Charlotte’s legs wrapped tightly around his hips Sidney moved his big hands to stroke up her back, he wasn’t satisfied with this he wanted to touch her breasts. He stepped forward, as Charlotte deepened the kiss, he responded to her and almost stumbled, but the glass of the window hit his hand and he was able to steady them. He moved his arm from behind Charlotte and she squealed as her hot back touched the cold glass. One of Sidney’s hand was still cupping her bum while the other had snaked between them and was slowly rubbing her nipple, Charlotte whimpered as his fingers tightened slightly to squeeze the soft flesh. Sidney pressed himself closer to her, his erection pressing between them. 

Their kissing had become messy, they couldn’t get close enough even though they were flush against each with their tongues twisting and dancing together. Charlotte’s hands were buried deep in Sidney’s hair, as he started to move his hips against her. His jeans feeling too tight against his throbbing cock, he needed to feel her, he needed to be inside her watching her writhe as he brought her to orgasm. 

Neither noticed as Mavis trotted out of the room towards the front door, they were too lost in each other. 

“Hey Parker, are you here?” Babington’s voice boomed through the hallway just before he walked into the kitchen with Mavis dancing around his feet. 

Sidney froze while Charlotte buried her face in Sidney’s shoulder, she could feel the blush that would be highly visible rush all over her whole body. 

“Fuck! Babington, get out!” Sidney shouted at the same time Babington started to apologise as he backed out of the room. 

Sidney slowly lowered Charlotte to the ground, turning his head to check Babington had left before he bent down to scoop up the discarded hoody for her. Helping her put it, on his face full of concern. 

“Are you OK?” He asked as he dropped a soft kiss on her forehead. 

“Yes, I’m fine, just a bit embarrassed.” Charlotte blushed again. Sidney pulled her against him in a reassuring hug. 

“Don’t worry, he wouldn’t have seen anything, and he won’t say anything to anyone, well maybe Esther. He has no filter when it comes to her.” Sidney laughed lightly. “I forgot I had arranged to go out on the bikes with him today. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s OK, I’m not sure who was more shocked, him or us.” Charlotte laughed. 

“Is it safe to come in now?” Babington asked from the hall. 

Letting go of Charlotte, Sidney slipped on his jumper, adjusted his trousers, and called to Babington to come in. 

Poor Babington was redder in the face than either Charlotte or Sidney as he walked through the door again. 

“I’m really sorry, I should have realised someone was with you when this lovely little dog greeted me at the door. I will start knocking from now on.” Babington sat at the island and looked sheepishly at Charlotte “I have never needed to knock before.” He said showing her the palms of his hand as if in defense. 

Charlotte blushed and looked at Sidney, who was smiling adoringly at her. “It’s ok don’t worry, Mavis is usually better at being a guard dog.” Charlotte laughed as she bent down to stroke her dog's head. “Is it OK to use your shower?” she asked looking at Sidney again. 

“Yes of course, there’s fresh towels in the cupboard in the shower room. Help yourself.” 

Charlotte walked over to her clothes and picked them up before scuttling out of the room, calling Mavis with her. As she walked up the stairs, she heard Babington apologising again and asking if he should leave, before saying “I see things are going well.” she stopped to see if she could hear Sidney response, but the kettle had been switched on and his words were muffled. She ran up the rest of the stairs closing the door behind her. 

Leaning against the door she took a deep breath and looked at Mavis, who was sat on the floor in front of her. “What do you think Mav? Can we trust him?” Mavis tilted her head to one side and wagged her tail. Charlotte crouched down and stroked her head. “Yeah, I think so too. He doesn’t seem the type to cheat. Although no idea what I’m basing that on, I didn’t think Elliot was either.” Mavis put her front paws on Charlotte’s leg as though to reassure her. “You’re right, he’s completely different.” 

Sidney waited for the kettle to stop before replying to Babington's statement, he was hoping that would mean Charlotte was out of earshot. Placing a mug in front of Babington, Sidney took his mug to the window and looked out at the garden, just as Charlotte had done minutes before. 

“To be honest, I think I’m fucking it up before it’s even started. It’s been so long since I tried to date and when I dated Eliza I hadn’t really cared; she did all the chasing. Plus, Tom has been on the phone, half the town know I left the bar with Charlotte. Fuck, how am I supposed to do this here?” Sidney turned to look at his friend for support. 

“Have you told her anything that happened? If you tell her, the gossip won’t matter.” Babington shrugged. “I think you’re over thinking it.” 

“Really? I’ve told her a little bit this morning. I wanted to wait a little before I had to unload all of this on her. I wanted her to at least have a chance to like me.” 

“And yet she’s still here. From what I saw I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” Babington laughed and raised his mug at Sidney in salute. “Wait until I tell Esther. Good thing you’re not overlooked Parker, you would scare the neighbours with that kind of behaviour.” 

“Piss off Babington, you’re only jealous because you have Lady D watching you like a hawk. Where is Esther today?” Sidney asked trying to change the subject in case Charlotte only had a quick shower and was already on her way back down. 

They fell into easy conversation from then on, drinking their coffees and laughing while the weather outside worsened. They decided to abandon their afternoon on the bikes in favour of a meal at Crowe’s. 

Babington decided to ring Esther to see if she wanted to come. 

“Hello, Sidney and I have decided to head to Crowe’s for lunch. Do you want to come?” Babington paused to listen to Esther and grinned as he caught Sidney looking over at him. “No, you won’t be the only woman there. Sidney is bringing Charlotte; she’s just getting dressed.” 

Sidney could hear the squealing from Esther through the phone and across the room. He picked up a mug of fresh coffee for Charlotte, flipped Babington the bird as he passed him and left the room before Esther was put on speaker phone. 

Knocking the door gently before pushing it open Sidney saw Charlotte sat on the floor next to the bed scrolling through her phone and stroking Mavis with her other hand. 

“Hey, I’ve brought you a coffee.” Sidney put it down on the floor next to her and walked towards the dresser, pulling his jumper off as he went. “Would you like to come for lunch at Crowe’s? Esther and Babington are going.” 

Charlotte looked up just in time to see Sidney drop his jeans before bending to pick them up. Charlotte couldn’t help but admire Sidney's body before he turned to look at her, she blushed furiously at being caught staring. 

“I need to go home first to change, if that’s ok?” 

Sidney walked towards the bed and laid his jeans across the bottom of it. Charlotte looked up at him and he bent to kiss her lips. “Of course. We’ll stop there first, then meet the Babington’s at the restaurant. Sorry it’s Crowe’s again, it was either that or stay here and play Monopoly all afternoon.” Sidney laughed heartily. 

“Oooh I love Monopoly. Have you actually got a board here?” Charlotte asked eagerly. 

Sidney stopped in the doorway of the ensuite and looked back at her. He laughed nervously before saying, “Oh no, not you too? Esther is not someone you want to play Monopoly with, let's just say she’s a bit ferocious and always wins.” 

Walking into the warm restaurant and being hit by the smell of the food made Charlotte’s stomach rumble. She hadn’t had breakfast in the end, her conversation with Sidney had ended her appetite quickly. Charlotte was glad he had told her about his past it made her feel trusted and it also helped her understand him better. The betrayal he must have felt from his brother Tom practically selling him for an investment must have been difficult to deal with, Charlotte wasn’t sure she would be on speaking terms with her sibling if they had done the same to her. 

As she stepped passed the host, she felt Sidney press his hand gently on to the small of her back, she looked at him briefly and saw him smiling at her, he looked happy and at ease, but there was something in his eyes that looked like caution. Charlotte couldn’t understand why it would be there, he had told her so much this morning and she felt she had shown him she was happy to continue doing whatever it is they were doing together. Charlotte felt sure of her decision as she walked across the restaurant towards the table where Babington and Esther were sat. She was happy to have whatever this man was willing to give her for however much time he wanted. Charlotte thought about the saying “It’s better to regret the things you’ve done rather than the things you haven’t” and in this instance Sidney Parker was something Charlotte wanted on her done list. 

As they reached the table a tall curly haired man came up behind Sidney and slapped him on the back, he leaned in and whispered something into Sidney's ear that Charlotte couldn’t hear. Sidney laughed and pulled Charlotte closer into his side without looking at her “Don’t even think about it Crowe.” Sidney turned back to Charlotte and introduced her to his old friend, he pulled out the chair next to Esther for her and sat down on her other side. 

As Crowe sat down, he raised his glass and looked at Esther. “Lady Babington. How are we this evening?” 

Esther scowled at him, picked up her own glass and drank from it before she answered him. “Crowe. Tolerable, I suppose.” Esther gave Crowe a look of contempt before turning to Charlotte and striking up a conversation while Babington, Crowe and Sidney did the same. As they were talking Charlotte felt Sidney slide his hand over her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze before stroking his thumb along it. Charlotte placed her hand on his and intertwined her fingers with his stronger ones, they kept their hands like this until the first course arrived and they returned to holding hands whenever they weren’t eating. Charlotte enjoyed the intimacy this small gesture gave her, she felt he was reassuring her, encouraging her, and keeping her safe all at the same time. This was a new experience for her, Elliot had never touched her outside of the flat and although their hands were under the table the angle of Sidney’s arm made it obvious that his hand wasn’t in his own lap. This made Charlotte sit up a little straighter, she felt her confidence soar and the warm feeling in her tummy got a little stronger. 

As the coffees arrived Sidney leaned into Charlotte placing his arm along the back of her chair. “The rain has stopped so I’ll take Mavis out for a quick run around the car park, if that’s ok?” Hearing her name Mavis came out from under Charlotte’s chair, ready to go outside. 

“You don’t need to do that. I’ll take her.” Charlotte leaned against Sidney and he placed a quick kiss on her head. 

“It’s OK. Crowe is going for a smoke; I’ll keep him company while I watch Mavis.” 

“As long as you’re sure.” Sidney picked up Mavis’s lead and his coat, he and Crowe walked slowly towards the exit door with Mavis trotting proudly next to Sidney. 

As Mavis ran around the small patch of grass to the side of the restaurant, Crowe pulled out his cigar case, snapping it shut and pulling Sidney from his thoughts. 

“How long have you been seeing Charlotte?” 

“I suppose you could say since Friday, I met her the week before when she hit my car.” Sidney kept his eyes on Mavis, but in his peripheral vision he saw Crowe’s eyebrows go up. 

“Only a couple of days then? I don’t think I’ve seen you look this comfortable with a woman, except perhaps when we were at uni and we were drunk. It suits you; she seems nice. I wouldn’t leave her alone with Esther for too long mind you.” Crowe put his cigar in his mouth again and took a long drag. “I know she likes you more than me, but you never know what secrets she’s telling her, especially as she knows about Babington's stag do.” Crowe laughed loudly, as Sidney looked at him alarmed. That weekend had been a little wilder than expected with a walk around London dressed as gnomes or was it hobbits, Sidney could never quite remember what Crowe had said they were meant to be. Something to do with Babington’s love of Lord of The Rings. Sidney had seen the films when they had come out but apparently Babington had read the books as well. 

Sidney was glad Charlotte was talking to Esther, she would be a good friend for Charlotte to have in town, especially where Charlotte’s business was concerned. A lot of the ladies in Esther’s circle were ladies who had plenty of free cash, meaning they could boost Charlotte’s takings easily. Not only that Sidney would like Charlotte to get on with his friends and their wives, as it would also make social events so much easier. It had always been so awkward with Eliza when they had returned to Sanditon and they met with his friends and his family if he were honest. Even though Esther and Babington were a Lord and a Lady Eliza still felt she was better than them and would always say unpleasant remarks in Sidney's ear about them, but never quite quietly enough that they didn’t hear her. As for Crowe she refused to even go to an event if he was in attendance, a fact that Crowe found highly amusing and would always turn up unexpectedly at the last minute. Sidney had been pleased to see how well Esther and Charlotte had fallen into conversation and how much Charlotte had laughed at Crowe’s jokes and tales from their past. Charlotte had slotted into his group of friends as easily as he had hoped. 

After the coffee they all said their goodbyes, with Esther and Charlotte arranging to meet during the week for lunch. Esther hugged Charlotte and then as she stretched up to kiss Sidney's cheek, she whispered “Don’t fuck this up. I really like her.” 

Sidney smirked typical Esther, with her not so gentle encouragement. “I’ll try not to.” He whispered back. 

“Good. Now go it’s starting to rain, and I haven’t brought an umbrella.” She turned and walked over to Babington's Jaguar and got in gracefully. While Babington walked backwards towards the car calling out his goodbyes and telling Sidney he needed to call him tomorrow. 

On the way back to Charlotte’s house neither one spoke, Charlotte was absently stroking Mavis’s back and holding Sidney’s hand. Sidney concentrated on the road, trying not to think about leaving her at her house so he could go home to get ready for his 4 days in London. He normally never spent this much time in London but as each of his clients had Christmas parties on different evenings and he seemed to be invited to them all he had to stay there more than normal. Usually, he would look forward to the time away from Tom but this time he felt like he wanted to cancel all his engagements to stay in Sanditon to see more of Charlotte. He knew that wasn’t realistic as she had her own things to do, plus he needed to finish his Christmas shopping which would be much easier to do in London than in Sanditon. 

Sidney stopped the car outside Charlotte’s house and switched the engine off. Looking at each other in the darkness, silently taking in every detail of each other's faces and trying to commit them to memory for when they were separated. 

“Would it be ok to call you during the week?” Sidney asked shyly, as he twisted towards her slightly in his seat. 

“Yes, I would like that. I have nothing planned for the evenings and most days I finish at 5pm.” Charlotte twisted slightly towards Sidney as she spoke. 

“Ok, I have plans most evenings, it seems to be the week for Christmas parties, but I should have time between finishing work and going out.” Sidney knew he would make time, his working day was mainly paperwork and account auditing this week, tying up loose ends before the Christmas break. Even if it wasn’t, he was in a position where he was able to make or take personal phone calls. 

“Do you want to come in for a cup of tea?” It was only 6pm and Charlotte wasn’t ready for Sidney to leave, she had enjoyed his company over the last few days and the thought of him leaving made her feel sadder than she had expected it would. 

“A coffee would be great.” 

They had to run from the car to the cottage, even with an umbrella up and thick winter coats they were both soaked as they rushed through the door. 

“I’ll get you a towel, help yourself in the kitchen.” Charlotte ran up the stairs peeling off her wet clothes as she went, she really needed a longer coat, her bum was soaked as it hadn’t been covered by her short coat. Pulling on her pyjamma trousers she rummaged through the clean washing pulling out a couple of the socks that Sidney had given her, they were odd in colour but similar in pattern. She looked through the basket for either of the matching socks but couldn’t find them. Giving up she pulled on the odd ones and she grabbed two towels before running down the stairs to find Sidney. 

He was sat in the lounge with Mavis at his feet. Charlotte gave him the towel to dry his hair and knelt to dry Mavis off. They were comfortable in the silence, neither wanted to break it as Charlotte joined Sidney on the sofa, he passed her the coffee he had made and noticed her socks and laughed. 

“I know, I couldn’t find the matching ones and just pulled these on, my feet were really cold.” Charlotte explained with a small, embarrassed laugh. 

Sidney reached down and pulled her feet into his lap and started to rub them to help warm them up more quickly. Both smiled at each other as they embraced how easily they had slipped into being so comfortable together. 

After half watching a film between kissing and shifting positions so they could get as close to each other as possible it was time for Sidney to leave. 

As he stood near her front door, hand on the handle he couldn’t push himself to leave, he wanted just another few hours with her. A few hours to talk with her, caress her skin, kiss her soft lips, and worship her body, he needed to commit it all to memory if he was going to survive the next four days without her. 

Standing opposite her he leaned forward to give her one last kiss goodbye, as he was pulling back he felt her fingers slide into his hair stopping his lips from leaving hers. He moved his body closer and pushed her against the wall. His hands roamed her side, and his thumb brushed her breast as he moved his hand up. She moaned as he did it and tightened her fingers in his hair. He was flush against her now, his coat too thick and his jeans too tight, his hands on her pyjama clad bum confirmed that she was knickerless underneath them. At his discovery he groaned as he tried once again to pull away. 

“I have to leave.” He said between kisses. 

“OK” Charlotte didn’t take her hands out of his hair but only tugged harder. He slipped his hand into the front of her pyjamas and played with the soft curls that greeted him, before slowly stroking his finger along her folds, she moaned deliciously into his mouth as he pushed his finger slowly into her warmth. She was already wet and welcoming. Sidney increased his strokes and could feel Charlotte clinging to him to stay upright, he was a little worried if he’d have any hair left but the sounds, she was making soon took his mind away from the thought. 

She managed to undo his coat and pushed it from his shoulders, he pulled his hands away from her so he could drop it to the floor, as he went to reach for her again, she lifted his jumper “I want to see you.” She whispered into his lips as she kissed him slowly and sensually. 

With his jumper relegated to the floor, Sidney wanted to even things up, so he pulled off her hoody, as he did so he saw she was wearing one of her t-shirts, his cock throbbed in his pants at the sight of it as clung to her breasts. He had never been so fascinated by a woman’s breasts before, he’d always considered himself a bum man but with Charlotte he acknowledged he was becoming an everything man, he couldn’t get enough of all of her. Each time he saw her he discovered a new area he liked as much as the last. She pulled the t-shirt off exposing her satin red bra that shone in the dim light coming from the living room. He lowered his face to kiss the freshly exposed skin, as he did Charlotte ran her hands down his back and pulled him closer to her. He lifted his head and kissed her passionately on the lips, twirling his tongue in her mouth as she parted her lips for him, matching him in passion. 

His hand found his way back into her trousers, he brought his hand around from her bum and slipped his finger inside her, before pulling it back out and pushing it back in, finding the spot that he knew would make Charlotte writhe with pleasure. 

He pushed her trousers down with his other hand as her hands found the zip on his jeans and released his throbbing cock. She pushed his jeans down over his bum and he lifted her against the wall, her legs wrapped around his hips, her warmth welcomed his cock, with an achingly slow thrust he pushed into her, she cried out as he filled her, her face caught between surprise and pleasure, a beautiful expression that he knew would stay in his mind over the coming days. 

She clawed at his shoulders and moaned in his ear as he increased his thrusts. She gripped him with such force he knew he would have marks, but it didn’t stop him as he pulled himself self out as far as his tip before thrusting himself forward squashing Charlotte against his chest, he felt he soft breasts moulding against him. 

Charlotte bit his shoulder as she came with force, she felt her orgasm rip through her from where they were joined right to her toes, it was like an explosion of light heating her up and then letting her float back to earth. She could feel Sidney move slightly and with the slight change of angle she felt another orgasm begin to build in her, and she moved her hands to grip his bum, helping him keep the pace he had set. 

Charlotte cried out at the same time Sidney moaned into her hair. He slowed his movements, both exhausted from such intense orgasms. Sidney peppered kisses along Charlotte’s collar bone and up her neck, finding her plump swollen lips, he kissed her slowly and whispered, “I don’t want to leave.” 

“You’re welcome to stay. Especially if you promise to do that again.” Charlotte blushed at her forwardness but reasoned with herself, his cock was still in her, it was a little late to be shy. 

“I have to leave Sanditon at 6am, I don’t want to wake you.” Sidney was still placing soft kisses along Charlotte’s skin, enjoying the goose bumps that appeared after each kiss. 

“I don’t mind. I’ll go back to sleep. Let’s go to bed Mr. Parker.” Charlotte captured his lips with her own and kissed him gently. 

“Let’s but first I need to put you down, I can’t walk with my trousers like this.” Both looked down and laughed at his jeans pooled around his ankles. 

Dropping Charlotte down slowly, Sidney pulled his jeans up over his hips. He kicked off his shoes and they walked up the stairs hand in hand.


	12. Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sidney can't sleep and wakes Charlotte up before driving off to London.
> 
> Mrs Barnes comes for her massage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was so lovely to wake up to all your comments after the last chapter, thanks so much for each and everyone of them. They really do make me so happy and every time I read one I grin like a giddy girl. 
> 
> Also thanks for the kudos too, I never imagined I'd reach 10 but 420 is incredible! 
> 
> And well spotted to those who noticed the lack of condom in the last chapter....I wasn't sure if it would slip passed you but I should have known better.
> 
> It's a very cold frosty afternoon here, I hope you are all well and having a good Sunday wherever you are.
> 
> Here's the next chapter....hope you enjoy and thanks for reading

Sidney lay awake staring at the ceiling and listening to Charlotte’s deep rhythmic breathing. He found it soothed his racing mind but not enough to get him back to sleep. 

They had both fallen asleep quickly, legs and arms wrapped around each other, Charlotte’s head on his chest and her leg over his, while he’d wrapped his arms around her and inhaled her scent deeply. Now though he couldn’t sleep. He wasn’t sure if Charlotte had realised his mistake, she hadn’t said anything, so he assumed she hadn’t. It was only their first weekend together and he felt he’d let her down already. She had explained why she couldn’t use other forms of contraception and even seemed to feel guilty about it, which Sidney couldn’t understand why. He hated condoms as much as the next person but if that’s what they needed to use then that’s what he would do. Although he acknowledged that was not what he had done last night. 

He sighed heavily and Charlotte stirred. He pulled her closer and placed a soft kiss on her hair. He wanted children at some point but not this early in a relationship, he wanted to get to know Charlotte and for it to be something they agreed on rather than because he wasn’t able to control himself. The only thing he could do was confess so that they could work out a plan. He knew the morning after pill was an option but wasn’t sure if it was something Charlotte would be willing to take and how would he suggest it without sounding like a complete arsehole? He could hardly say “Hey I forgot the condom; can you sort my mess out?” He’d never been in this situation before, when he had been with Eliza she’d always been on the pill and with the one night stands he’d always remembered the condom because they were strangers and he had never had the same urge with them as he had with Charlotte. He needed that physical connection with her after spending all day talking, holding hands with passionate kisses thrown in here and there just hadn’t been enough to satisfy his need to touch her. He couldn’t believe how stupid he’d been and now he needed to tell Charlotte. 

He looked at his watch and could just make out the time, he had an hour before his alarm was due to go off. He knew there was no chance of him going back to sleep so he decided to gently wake Charlotte so they would have time to talk and she’d have enough time to go back to sleep before her alarm would go off. 

“Charlotte.” He stroked her arm and called her name again, she stirred and groaned before settling on him, further across his chest. This time he nudged her and called her name louder. 

She half opened her eyes and looked at him from under her dark mass of hair. “Is it time for you to leave?” She asked groggily. 

“No not quite, but I need to talk to you and didn’t want to do it as I rush out the door.” He kissed her lips and moved her hair from her face. 

Charlotte twisted a little more so she could see him better and rested her chin on her hand which was on his chest. Sidney ran his fingers down her back only stopping as he reached the soft curve of her bum before slowly pulling his hand back up to her hair. Her leg was still hooked over his, he could feel her warmth resting on his hip and could feel himself getting distracted, he cleared his throat and looked through the semi darkness at Charlotte’s eyes. 

“Earlier when we were by the door, I forgot to put a condom on. I’m really sorry, I got carried away and it just didn’t enter my head.” Sidney stroked her hair by her face, tucking it behind her ear. 

“Oh, shit.” Charlotte looked down briefly before returning her eyes to his. “It wasn’t just your fault; I didn’t mention it either.” She could feel herself starting to panic a bit. Charlotte knew she wasn’t ready to have a child, especially as they’d only just met, the first weekend of sleeping together and falling pregnant would be so clichéd. She needed to be practical and not let the fear take over, she had dealt with this before and she could do it again. 

She started to move away from him, and Sidney could feel himself panic; he didn’t want her to withdraw from him. If she didn’t want to take the morning after pill, he’d support her decision and if she was pregnant, he would support a baby as well. It wasn’t the way he wanted things to happen, but he wasn’t about to run away from his responsibilities. 

“Hey” he tightened his arms around her “where are you going?” 

“I just need the loo.” Charlotte whispered as she tried to pull out of his arms. 

“Charlotte, it’ll be OK. I mean, it’s not an ideal situation to find ourselves in and I’m sorry. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Charlotte pulled back suddenly and broke his hold. 

“It’s a bit late for that now isn’t it?” She grabbed her robe that hung from the door and put it on, she started to pace the room, chewing her nail. “Fuck!” 

Sidney sat up and switched the lamp on. “It is a bit late, but we have the option of the morning after pill.” 

“I know.” Charlotte sighed and sat down on the bottom of the bed. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault, if I could take the pill or have the implant etc., we wouldn’t be in this situation.” Charlotte hung her head and stared at her hands. When she found out Elliott had cheated on her he said it was because she couldn’t take the pill and he hated wearing a condom, so had looked to someone else who didn’t have her problem. 

Sidney moved down the bed and wrapped his arm around her small shoulders, pulling her into his chest. “It’s not your fault, even if you could take those, we agreed we would use condoms and I let you down. Perhaps in future we need to remind each other and have boxes of condoms everywhere? I mean in every room and maybe even the car, perhaps we should carry them on us as well” He laughed nervously, trying to break the tension a little. 

Charlotte looked up at him surprised “You want to keep doing this even though you need to keep wearing condoms indefinitely?” she asked quietly 

“Yes! Why wouldn’t I? Don’t you?” He couldn’t believe he was hearing this, he thought they had had a great weekend together, he’d felt last night that she didn’t want him to leave just as much as he hadn’t wanted to. “Charlotte, it really doesn’t matter if I have to wear one. After this I’ll make sure to remember. Why would you think I wouldn’t want to see you again because of that?” Sidney asked softly as he stroked her hair. 

Charlotte didn’t want to tell him the truth, she felt foolish now, she needed to remind herself that Sidney wasn’t Elliot, and that Elliot was an idiot whose bicep was bigger than his brain. 

“Charlotte, tell me why you would think that?” Sidney pressed her for an answer. 

Charlotte sighed and told him about what Elliot had said and how it was her fault he had cheated on her. She knew she had had a lucky escape, but some of the things he had said had obviously stayed with her more than she had allowed herself to acknowledge. 

“This guy sounds like a right idiot Charlotte. I’m sorry I know he was your boyfriend but to act like that and then cheat on you he can’t have been very bright.” Charlotte laughed and looked at Sidney as he continued to talk. “I have really enjoyed this weekend; it’s been the best I’ve had in a very long time and that’s in no small part down to you. I’m glad Esther and Babington conspired to get us together on Friday. I really don’t want to go to London this week, I would rather stay in Sanditon and take you out on a couple of dates” He pulled her to him and kissed her, he wanted her to know that he was being truthful plus he needed to stop talking, he’d said too much and she would be running from him because of how intense he was being. 

“Me too.” Charlotte said breathlessly as they pulled apart. “I’ll get the morning after pill later today. My first client isn’t until 11am so I’ll go first thing.” 

“I’ll come with you. I only have one meeting but I can push it back to the afternoon.” 

“There’s no need to do that, I can go alone, plus if we go together the whole town will know. Are you ready to go public?” Charlotte climbed back up the bed as Sidney leaned back on the headboard. 

“Probably not the best way to make us public no, but I can sit in the car park while you go in.” Sidney suggested, he’d created the problem, so he wanted to help her with the solution. 

“You would honestly do that?” Charlotte was shocked that Sidney would move his meeting and travel to London later just to support her while she went to the pharmacist. He really was the opposite of what she had though when she had first met him. He was not nearly as uncaring as he appeared. 

“Yes, if you want me to, I will. If you don’t then I won’t.” 

Charlotte pecked his lips and smiled at him “If you’re sure, that would be great.” 

They agreed a plan and Sidney adjusted his alarm allowing them enough time for a trip to his house before they switched the lamp off and cuddled up together, both smiling in the darkness knowing that whatever this was between them was going to continue passed the morning and well into the future. 

Clutching her take away coffee Charlotte unlocked the door to The Retreat, Mavis trotted in and went straight to the kitchen, Charlotte scooped up the post and followed Mavis. No sooner had she stepped into the kitchen the bell above the door tinkled signalling someone was in the waiting area. She checked her watch it was only 10am so wasn’t Mrs. Barnes yet. 

Charlotte stepped back out of the kitchen and was greeted by the sight of James Stringer with his hands on his hips. She could tell from his body language that something had upset him, she wasn’t quite sure if he was more angry than upset and couldn’t work out why he was here. He didn’t have an appointment and she had been hoping to spend the next hour going over all the details from the weekend and this morning. Sidney had sat in the car patiently with Mavis on his lap, both had looked so pleased when she returned unscathed from speaking to the pharmacist. Thankfully the store had been empty, so she had been able to go straight in, after answering the usual questions she had left with the pill in her bag. 

They had sat in Sidney’s car talking for far longer than they should have, she was worried he would drive too fast to get to London in time for his meeting because she hadn’t wanted him to go. He had promised to text her when he got to his office, so she knew he was safe. Charlotte couldn’t believe they had spent the whole weekend together and it had felt like the most natural thing to have done. She felt so comfortable with him and after talking with him this morning knew he felt the same. Charlotte knew she was grinning at James, but she couldn’t help herself, she didn’t think she had ever felt this happy. 

“Hi James, did you want to make an appointment?” 

“No Charlotte, I saw you at the bar on Friday with Sidney Parker. We all saw you leave together. I’ve come to tell you to be careful around him especially as I’ve just seen you sat in his car for the last half hour. Do you know he’s slept with half the town? I don’t want you to be another notch on his bed post Charlotte, you deserve better than that.” 

“James, I don’t really know what to say, I appreciate your concern but there’s no need for it. Sidney has told me about his past and I’m OK with it.” 

“Did he tell you how he made 50 people redundant from the hotel when he came back here? Did he tell you he left his wife because he’d moved on to another woman? His poor wife was left in London all alone. Her family lived abroad so she had no one to turn to. He’s ruthless, he’ll do the same to you, you’re here alone too, I won’t let him take advantage of you.” James stepped closer to Charlotte as he spoke. “I think you should tell him it was mistake and you don’t want to see him again.” 

Charlotte was stunned at James’s attitude; her brain wasn’t keeping up with what he was saying. He was talking really quickly and she could see his chest heaving with the exertion of it. Sidney had told her a lot of his past on the weekend, he hadn’t mentioned the redundancies, but he had explained why his marriage had ended and she believed him, his story had too much detail to have been fabricated. She had also seen the way his face had reacted as he had told her, there was no way he could fake that. Charlotte stood a little straighter and spoke calmly but firmly to James who was now a little too close for comfort. 

“He told me about his ex-wife, I’m sure you’ve got it wrong. He didn’t leave her for someone else.” 

James huffed out a breath and flapped his arms against his side. “He did Charlotte, I know he did, it was all over town that he’d left his wife for the new receptionist at the hotel. Although she didn’t last long, she was made redundant too and left town soon after. He probably got tired of her, just like he will with you. Charlotte, it’s not too late, end it now before he hurts you. You’re too good for him.” 

Charlotte didn’t know what to say. Everything James was telling her about Sidney’s ex-wife was different from what he had told her. Why would he lie Charlotte asked herself, but then why would James lie? He had nothing to lose. Charlotte quickly ran through what Sidney had told her on Sunday morning, it didn’t make sense for him to lie, he didn’t need to bring it up at all if it was just a quick shag and he’d be on his way, and he certainly wouldn’t have come with her this morning if that had been the case. Although maybe he might have to check she’d taken the pill, Charlotte shook her head. He had come because he was concerned about her. She didn’t believe what James was saying, Sidney wouldn’t lie. 

“James, listen I appreciate you coming to tell me this, but as I’ve said Sidney has already told me about his ex-wife. Unless you want to book an appointment I think you had better leave. My first client is due and I haven’t set up yet.” Charlotte kept thinking James had to be wrong, it didn’t make sense for Sidney to lie. After a few seconds of staring at each other it looked like James was finally going to back down. 

“OK, I’ll go, but please promise me you’ll be careful. He doesn’t deserve you.” James stepped closer again and leaned down to kiss Charlotte’s cheek. As his lips connected with her skin Charlotte felt herself stiffen, it was a bit of a wet kiss and she had to resist the urge to wipe her cheek as he pulled away. “I care about you Charlotte; he doesn’t deserve someone as special as you.” 

“That really kind of you to say James but I’m not any more special than anyone else. We’re all just trying to do our best. I really do need to get ready for my first client.” 

James nodded and left. As she watched him walk past the window, she let out the breath she hadn’t realised she had been holding. She reached for her phone in her pocket, the urge to phone Sidney overwhelming her. She had 25 minutes until Mrs. Barnes arrived, so she had time to call him and ask about what James had said. She found his number and was about to hit call when she hesitated, he was driving, he didn’t need the distraction of her calling. She put her phone in her skirt pocket and started her morning routine of getting everything ready to distract herself from James’s cruel words. 

Charlotte had enjoyed her appointment with Mrs. Barnes after her encounter with James, the relaxing music had helped calm her mind. Even though she had washed her face she could still feel his wet kiss on her cheek, it made her uncomfortable that he thought he could start kissing her, albeit in a friendly way after insulting Sidney. 

Mrs. Barnes had been a welcome distraction, luckily Charlotte didn’t have an appointment afterwards as she had wanted to stay for a cup of tea and a chat. The conversation had started off easy enough about the weather and had moved on to Mavis, who was sleeping soundly in her basket next to the radiator on the other side of the room. As Mrs. Barnes talked about what her and Mavis had got up to on Friday Charlotte took a sip of her tea, to only almost choke as Mrs. Barnes started to talk about Sidney. 

“I saw your young man on Saturday morning Charlotte. I knew him when he was a boy of 15, he’s certainly got a bit, uh broader since then. He was always a fine-looking boy. He used to have half the girls staring at him as he walked through the halls at school, but he never noticed.” She waved her biscuit in the air as she spoke, dropping crumps across the table. “Although from what I heard he’s changed a bit now when it comes to the ladies, he’s got a bit of a reputation, you know?” She stopped and looked around the room as though to check no one was there other than the two of them and Mavis. “I heard that he’s a bit of a lady's man, none of the ladies are complaining mind you, apparently he’s very good.” She paused to close her eyes and hum quietly before opening her eyes and continuing “He certainly looks like he has the body to be.” She took a bite of her biscuit while Charlotte stared opened mouthed at the older lady who sat before her. “Apparently, he had an affair with the hotel receptionist before she left, she appeared one summer no older than 20 I’d say, beautiful young girl, but she was gone again by the autumn. Some say she was made redundant, but I wonder if he ended it with her and she couldn’t handle the heart break. Girls that age are so dramatic, aren’t they?” Mrs. Barnes looked at Charlotte expectantly. 

“Erm, yes I suppose they are.” Charlotte wasn’t sure what to say, this was the same story that James had told her. She sat half listening to Mrs. Barnes as she continued to gossip about others in the town, her mind was running through everything Sidney had said, none of it matched what James and now Mrs. Barnes had told her. She was struggling to hold on to the warm feeling she had felt when he had kissed her goodbye, telling her he would miss her in the car only 2 hours earlier. Her phone rang breaking her thoughts, she could see Mrs. Barnes looking at the phone, which was on the table. Charlotte flicked her eyes to the screen to see Sidney’s name. She silenced the call and turned her attention back to Mrs. Barnes, who gave Charlotte a look of understanding. 

“That’s it, treat him mean and you’ll keep him keen.” Mrs. Barnes wagged her finger at Charlotte as she spoke, Charlotte’s phone beeped with a message, but thankfully she had placed her phone screen down so Mrs. Barnes couldn’t see who the text was from. Otherwise, it may have set her off about Sidney again if it was him. “Are you going to the New Year’s ball at the hotel Charlotte?” 

“Oh, I’m not sure yet. Tom Parker sent me a ticket as I’m a new business here, but I don’t have anything to wear. Are you going Mrs. Barnes?” 

“Yes, of course I am, I’m a friend of Lady Beryl Denham, we play bridge together every week.” Mrs. Barnes continued to tell Charlotte about her weekly outings with the bridge club. After another half hour of listening to various escapades Mrs. Barnes left, and Charlotte could finally look at her message. 

Sidney Parker: Hey, how are you feeling? I’m about to go into my meeting, I’ll call you once it’s finished. Hope Mrs. Barnes didn’t give you any trouble 😉 xxx 

She needed some air. Her head was so confused, she put her coat on and zipped it up furiously. She was annoyed at James and Mrs. Barnes, for telling her things she didn’t really need to know. She was annoyed at herself for letting them get to her. Putting the lead on Mavis she headed towards the beach for a quick walk before her next client. She needed to clear her head and she knew listening to the waves would help. 

As she walked, she heard her phone ring, she stood starring at the screen, debating whether to answer or not. Before she could decide it stopped. She felt the disappointment in herself settle over her for letting the gossip get to her, Sidney had warned her about it, but she didn’t think James would be in on it too. She couldn’t really be mad at Mrs. Barnes, it was just her way and she didn’t really mean any harm, Charlotte could tell by the twinkle in her eye that she was secretly impressed that Charlotte had had the Sidney Parker experience. 

After checking to see where Mavis was, Charlotte unlocked her phone and called Sidney. She decided she wasn’t going to tell him about the gossip, she believed him and that was all that mattered.


	13. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They spend the week apart and we see how they cope.
> 
> There's a lunch with Esther and James comes for a massage.
> 
> Sidney enjoys a few evenings out on the town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely comments, I have read each one more than once but haven't had chance to reply to them all. RL is a little crazy at the moment so any free time was spent writing .
> 
> Also thanks for the warm welcome on twitter, it's a lot of fun over there, I loved reading the chat you had about the last chapter, I truly can't believe anyone reads my fic let alone that you chat about it too. It is a huge honour so thank you one and all. #SockFic
> 
> This is my longest chapter yet, I hope you enjoy it
> 
> please stop at the **** if you don't want to read the more explicit part.

**Tuesday**

Sidney was staring at his mobile, trying to decide if it was acceptable to call Charlotte again. He had spoken to her twice the day before and he had only left her just before lunch, today he had made it to 2pm without calling. They had sent a few texts back and forth but nothing substantial and he wanted to hear her voice. 

He had been checking an audit that one of his junior staff had done and he couldn’t concentrate. He was running through his conversation with Charlotte from the night before. She had mentioned that Mrs. Barnes had gossiped a little but wouldn’t tell him what she had said. All Charlotte would say while laughing was how impressed Mrs. Barnes had been about what a fine man he had grown in to, which had made him cringe a little but was glad to hear that it had amused Charlotte rather than made her uncomfortable. He could tell she was holding something back, but he didn’t want to press her, whatever Mrs. Barnes had said hadn’t seemed to have affected how Charlotte was with him. They had talked well into the early hours, they had found a film to watch together over the phone and had both talked about different bits of it, as well as sharing small pieces of themselves with each other between the laughter created by the film. 

Just as he decided to press call his phone started ringing, it was Tom. He had already spoken to him once today and didn’t want to talk to him again. He placed his phone down and walked out of the room to make himself a cup of tea. Normally when he worked at home, he was more productive than when he was in the office but not today. He decided he would finish the last few pages while he drank his tea and then he was going to log off for the day. Bedford Place had its own gym that he had installed a few years ago when he realised exercise was better for his mind than getting drunk was. He would put a few miles on the treadmill with the music on loud to try to settle his mind ready for the meal he had to attend that evening. 

As he walked back into the office his phone beeped with a text. 

**Tom** : Sidney you really need to make yourself available for my calls. I need to speak to you urgently. Call me back asap. 

Sidney ignored the text, he knew if anyone was hurt or if it was a true emergency, Mary would have called. He rationalised that as it was only Tom calling it was most likely something to do with the ball. He quickly sent Babington a text to get him to check on Tom as it wasn’t long until the ball would be taking place. He then turned his attention to his work, desperately trying to fight the urge to call Charlotte. 

Charlotte was locking the door after her final client of the day. It had been a long busy day with lots of clients causing her back to ache, she knew her late night the night before hadn’t helped but she didn’t regret it. As she packed her things in her bag she couldn’t help smiling as the memory of talking with Sidney while they had watched Hot Fuzz flooded her mind. He had been so concerned about how she had felt after taking the pill, that he had rung her twice and now she was hoping he would call today as well. The time was approaching 6pm and she knew he had to be at a work event at 7pm, she decided to send him a text to tell him to have a good time and she would speak to him tomorrow. Bending down next to Mavis she took a photo of the little dog and typed a message underneath saying: 

“Miss you and hope you have a wonderful time tonight, speak to you tomorrow xxx” 

A reply came back as Charlotte was putting her coat on, she picked up her phone and opened the text. 

**Sidney:**

Charlotte felt herself sway at the sight of him, she grew hot and flustered and felt almost glad she wasn’t in the same room as him, he really was the most handsome man she had ever seen. After staring at the photo for longer than she really should have, she noticed he had sent a second text. Scrolling down she read it, still smiling about the photo. 

**Sidney:** Miss you two too. Can I call you when I get home? I’ll be home before midnight xxx 

**Charlotte:** Of course, I’ll be awake xx 

As Sidney walked through Bedford Place towards his bedroom on the second floor, he placed the call to Charlotte. He just wanted to get into bed and hold her but as that wasn’t possible the next best thing would have to do and that was hearing her voice. Tonight's meal had been even more tedious than the one before. He hated the pomp that came with these events, all the speeches they had to sit through while the audience got quietly drunker by the minute. Then came the dancing, how he hated the dancing, he would always get dragged on to the dance floor by one of the older women only to find no way of escaping their clutches, one after another he would have to make small talk with them while pretending he didn’t mind them pushing themselves ever closer to him. 

He had managed to leave before the worst offender cornered him. Every year she would slip her room key into his pocket and every year he had to return it to her politely. Her husband owned the company yet never showed up for the Christmas event, he was usually somewhere warmer and left it up to his wife to organise. Tonight, she had been wearing a short black sequined dress with thin straps and the top barely containing her large breasts, he wasn’t sure how they had managed to stay in the fabric when she had pressed herself against him making him feel extremely uncomfortable. He hated the meat market these Christmas parties turned into once everyone had consumed the free booze. 

As he walked up the stairs, he finally heard Charlotte's voice answer the phone. 

“Hi, did you have a good time?” She sounded groggy, and he guessed he must have woken her and as selfish as it was, he didn’t care, he needed to hear her voice after his evening. 

“Hello sleepy, it was fine, the usual corporate speeches followed by more corporate talking at the bar.” 

“Oh, not as much fun as I thought then. Did you dance?” she asked through a yawn. 

“A little with the bosses' wives. Every year they take pity on me as I’m there alone.” He sat down on the bed and undid his shoes. He could feel the tension in his shoulders as he pulled off his socks. 

“I’m sure pity isn’t the reason they dance with you; did you look in the mirror before you went out?” Charlotte laughed. 

Sidney laughed too, he knew he was a handsome man, but he didn’t feel he was anything special, he was just him, but he still appreciated the compliment especially coming from Charlotte. 

They talked a little about their day, but Charlotte couldn’t stop yawning, so Sidney ended the call and prepared to go to bed. He selected a play list on his iPod as he walked into the bathroom smiling about how nice it had been to speak to Charlotte before bed and wish her sweet dreams. 

For once he was looking forward to getting back to Sanditon and seeing her. He decided next time he spoke to her he would ask what her plans were for the weekend and see if they could spend some time together again. He knew he had his massage booked so he would see her Friday evening. He wondered if he would be able to keep it professional as it would be the first time he would see her since he left on Monday. He had a feeling it would be difficult as the memories of the weekend invaded his thoughts even now when he was cleaning his teeth let alone when she was touching his skin. 

**Wednesday**

Charlotte had another busy day of clients which she was really pleased about, the Retreat had steadily increased its client base in the last few weeks and her days were getting busier. She was starting to feel at home in Sanditon between the extra clients booking in, the new friends she had made and now her fledgling relationship with Sidney. She smiled as she saw his morning text flash up on her phone, she really liked the way he had said Good Morning and Good Night to her the last couple of days, it made her feel that he was thinking about her as much as she was about him. She replied to him as she ate her breakfast, then ended up rushing to get dressed as she had sat too long scrolling through social media looking at the photos her old friends from university had posted from their latest get together. She hadn’t been able to go as it had been organised at the last minute, but they had already arranged an alternative date for January, which Charlotte was excited for. 

The bell jingled and Charlotte looked up from her magazine to be greeted by an elegant blonde lady pulling off her thick red woolen scarf. 

“Hello, welcome to the Retreat, are you here for an appointment?” Charlotte stood as she spoke and took in the slightly older lady’s face, she had a kind expression with twinkling blue eyes, she was dressed in expensive but not over the top clothes and Charlotte felt instantly at ease with her and hoped this lady felt the same. 

“Hello, yes I have, I am Mary Parker. I booked in on Monday with you for today. Sorry about the short notice, but I suddenly felt the need for some relaxation and a bit of time out.” 

Charlotte checked her book, the booking was only down as Mary, it had been done online via the website. Charlotte remembered Sidney had mentioned Mary was his sister-in-law and wondered if it was a coincidence that Sidney was out of town that she was here or whether she genuinely wanted a massage. Charlotte smiled brightly at Mary, she wanted to make a good impression and needed to steady her nerves. “Come on through and we’ll get started.” 

The session went well, and Mary complimented Charlotte on her ability to make people feel so relaxed. Mary suddenly looked a little uncomfortable, she looked at Charlotte and smiled at her, she took a step closer and touched Charlotte’s arm. Charlotte was surprised but didn’t move away. 

“Charlotte, Sidney told me about you two seeing each other. I’m incredibly happy for you both, I don’t want to interfere, I just want to say please be gentle with his heart. He’s a good man who’s not as unfeeling as he would have us believe.” 

Charlotte was about to speak when the door opened, and Esther walked in looking every bit the society lady wearing a dark green coat with the collar pulled up and a large pair of sunglasses. Mary dropped her hand and stepped away to adjust her coat and scarf. 

Esther looked between the two women and felt she had interrupted something important. “Oh, hello Mary, everything OK?” she asked. 

“Yes, everything is perfect, I have had a wonderful massage and I was just about to leave.” Mary turned back to Charlotte “Thank you Charlotte, I hope to see you again soon.” And with that she walked out the door. 

“Did I just interrupt something?” Esther asked as Charlotte got Mavis ready to leave to go to lunch. 

“No, no not at all, she was thanking me for the massage. Shall we go?” Charlotte opened the door, she wanted to get out in the fresh air after a morning of being inside. 

They walked to the bakery at the other end of the High Street that also served as a café, which allowed dogs inside. They found a table by the window with big comfortable armchairs for them and plenty of space for Mavis to settle on the floor away from other customers. 

They chatted about what to order and the weather before Charlotte felt comfortable enough to question Esther. She knew she trusted Sidney, but she felt if she could just hear confirmation of his story from Esther, she would be able to relax more. 

“Esther, can I ask you something about Sidney?” she asked as she leaned forward to pick up the bone china cup from the saucer on the table. 

“What is it you want to know? I’ll answer if I can.” Esther looked at Charlotte, she wasn’t entirely sure if she wanted to continue now, Esther’s body language had stiffened slightly, and Charlotte was worried she might have placed their friendship in jeopardy by putting Esther in an uncomfortable position. Esther’s loyalty would of course lie with Sidney, but Charlotte needed a little reassurance so ploughed on with her enquiries. 

“I just wanted to know if Sidney had an affair at the end of his marriage with a receptionist at the Parker Hotel?” Charlotte blushed as she sipped from her cup, now she had spoken the words aloud she felt foolish. Esther was sat opposite her, looking out of the window. Charlotte saw her take a deep breath and blow it out slowly before looking back at her. 

“Has Sidney told you anything about his marriage?” 

“A little, but not a huge amount. He told me the divorce was difficult and that Tom had something to do with arranging the marriage.” 

Esther ate a bite of her sandwich, it looked to Charlotte that she was buying herself some time. Charlotte braced herself for whatever Esther was about to say. 

“I don’t know a lot about Sidney’s marriage, I reconnected with him once he had moved back to Sanditon and he had separated from his then wife. From the little that Dan has told me it doesn’t sound like it was a happy time in Sidney’s life. I do know he had a lot of problems with Tom and with getting a divorce. From my understanding Sidney had a lot to deal with and he enjoyed his freedom, but only once he had formally separated from his wife.” Esther drank from her cup eyeing Charlotte over the rim. 

“What about the receptionist at the time? Did he have an affair with her before she was made redundant?” Charlotte pressed Esther for more information, she hadn’t really answered her question and Charlotte needed to know now. 

“Let me see, this was about 4 or 5 years ago.” Esther laughed as she made the connection of who the receptionist was. “No Charlotte, Sidney most certainly did not have an affair with the receptionist when he came back to Sanditon. Georgiana wasn’t made redundant either, she was only working there temporarily before leaving for university in Edinburgh. I can’t tell you about their relationship, that is something you really need to ask Sidney about, it’s not widely known how they know each other, and both would like it kept that way.” Esther looked at Charlotte as she fiddled with the paper napkin and sighed, she could see the uncertainty in her face. “Charlotte, who told you about Georgiana and Sidney having an affair?” 

“It doesn’t matter who, if it's not true that he cheated on his wife then that’s all I need to know. I’m sorry I shouldn’t have asked.” Charlotte looked up at Esther with tears in her eyes. Esther moved to the seat next to Charlotte and took her hand. 

“Charlotte, please speak to Sidney rather than believe the town gossips. What I can tell you about Sidney is that he is very loyal, even more so than Mavis is, sometimes to his own detriment. He isn’t the kind to cheat. You need to trust him. I know it’s difficult, it took me a while to let Dan in. I had had an awful relationship before I met him and wasn’t interested in ever meeting anyone. He showed me that not all men are manipulative bastards who cheat on those who love them. Let Sidney be that man for you.” Esther passed her a fresh tissue and squeezed her hand as Charlotte smiled weakly at her. Esther then sat up straight in her seat and picked up the menu to stare at it intently “Now, what cake are we going to have?” 

Charlotte was grateful to Esther; she had said exactly what she needed to hear and then moved the conversation on without prying into Charlotte’s past. 

The rest of the lunch passed without incident and the chat was much more lighthearted with Esther convincing Charlotte to spend Sunday afternoon with her while Sidney and Babington went on their weekly jaunt on their bikes. 

Charlotte returned to the Retreat feeling better for talking to Esther. Their chat had confirmed everything that Sidney had said about him not having an affair and Esther telling her part of her own story gave Charlotte confidence to believe what she already knew that Sidney was one of the good guys. Hanging her coat up, she opened her phone and gazed at the photo he had sent her the night before smiling to herself at her thought of asking him to wear his tuxedo one evening for her. The bell jingled and disturbed her thoughts just before they got explicit. 

Sidney’s day had gone well, he had managed to focus his mind on his work and had managed to complete more than he had planned that morning. He took the afternoon off and went shopping in Oxford Street. Once he had bought all his presents for his nephews and nieces, Sidney stopped for a coffee in a small café on one of the side streets. He looked at his phone and as usual he had a missed call from Tom. 

Sidney hated how his relationship with Tom was now, there had been a time when they were much younger that he had looked up to Tom, he had respected him and had wanted to grow into a similar man. Now Sidney found it difficult to speak to his brother, the hurt from him practically selling him to Eliza’s family was still raw. Sidney knew that if Tom hadn’t been married to Mary with 4 young children he would have walked away and left him to sort out his own mess, but he was, and Sidney had stayed and fought almost daily to stop Tom from ruining the family business and his marriage. He had no idea how Mary managed to stay with Tom and not run for the hills, he respected her patience more than he could say. 

Sidney looked out of the window at passing shoppers, enjoying the quiet in the almost empty café. He decided it was time to forgive Tom and his failings, after all Sidney was finally moving on from his own disastrous past. 

The phone only rang twice before it was answered “Sidney! At last! Where have you been?” Sidney rolled his eyes as he listened to Tom, anyone would think it had been weeks since they had last spoken not the day before. 

  
“Hello Tom, I have been working as well you know. Is everything okay?” 

“Yes, yes, I need you to collect a present for Mary for me before you come back to Sanditon. I’ll text you the details of the store, you’ll need to give them my name and you need to be there by 5pm today as they are closed the rest of the week.” Sidney glanced at his watch it was 3pm now, he hoped it wasn’t far from where he was. 

“Ok, text me the details and I’ll do my best, I’m on Oxford Street at the moment.” 

“Fantastic, the shop isn’t far from there so you can collect it in the next half an hour. I’ll let them know. Oh, and Sidney I need you settle the balance on the item.” Tom said quickly then hung up the phone before Sidney could say anything in reply. Sidney smirked and thought to himself, Tom will never change. The text with the address came through, he knew the shop well and it was within walking distance from where he was. He gathered his bags and left the café. 

As he walked, he thought about whether to buy Charlotte a gift, he wanted to and had an idea of what to get her. He hoped he could get what he wanted in the same shop he had to collect Mary’s present from. He looked in the windows as he passed the bigger stores, full of shoppers jostling each other to get to the displayed items. He was glad that he had finished most of his shopping with only one shop left to visit. 

Returning to Bedford place Sidney took a shower and dressed ready for his third meal out this week, he was looking forward to this evening as it was a smaller company with a much smaller budget for their Christmas party. Unlike the other functions this week it was a casual affair of just a meal in a small independent restaurant. 

He checked his phone to find a message from Charlotte. 

**Charlotte:** Hey how was your day? xxx 

**Sidney:** Really good, I have completed my Christmas shopping. How about your day? xxx 

**Charlotte:** It was interesting 😉 I met Mary this morning and had lunch with Esther ❤xx 

**Sidney:** Did you? Are you free for a call? I’m just walking to my meal. I’ve missed your voice today xx 

Sidney’s phone rang and he answered it straight away. “Hi.” 

“I’ve missed your voice too. Fairly sure voices like yours shouldn’t be allowed.” 

“Oh, is that so? And why is that?” He dropped his voice slightly, making it a bit deeper and a little husky. 

“It does things to me and you’re a little too far away to finish what you’re starting right now.” Charlotte breathed down the phone, glad that she was sat on her sofa in the privacy of her own home as she knew she was blushing wildly and could feel the heat starting to build between her legs, he really did only need to speak, and she wanted him. 

“Ah, I could say the same to you. I’m walking down a crowded street and you’re using that tone. It’s a good job it’s dark.” Sidney laughed breaking the tension they were both feeling, he enjoyed this flirty side of their conversations, it had started creeping in more and more each day and he hoped it would continue. “So, what did Mary have to say?” He asked trying to sound casual. 

Charlotte laughed “Smooth change of subject there Parker. She came in for a massage, she told me you had told her about us.” 

  
There was a slight pause before Sidney spoke again. 

“I did, I hope you don’t mind. She won’t tell anyone until we’re ready to go public.” Sidney was worried she was upset with him, he hadn’t expected Mary to visit Charlotte, she was usually more subtle than that. 

“No, I don’t mind at all. Besides, I think it’s too late to worry about telling people. Seems half the town already knows. James Stringer popped in on Monday to tell me people had seen us leaving the bar together.” 

“Oh, did he? That was good of him. What else did he say?” He tried to keep the anger out of his voice, but he knew he hadn’t succeeded. James Stringer had always been a thorn in Sidney’s side, he had never been able to understand why he had always seemed to hate him. James had always been more likeable than he had, he possessed an easy manner that drew people to him, people respected him and wanted to be in his company. He was also a successful businessman as well as being handsome. If Sidney was honest with himself, he had never liked James either, since they were boys, he had always had this innocent look that made the adults and girls, as they had gotten older think he was a good guy. Sidney suspected he was into some weird things in the bedroom and that’s why he could never get a woman to stay with him very long. Sidney seemed to remember James always being in relationships since they were teenagers. Although sadly not at the moment and he obviously had his sights set on Charlotte, but Sidney had a feeling that unlike the rowing he had a better chance than James at wining Charlotte’s heart. 

“Nothing else, he just wanted to let me know that we had been seen. Will you text me when you get home, so I know you’re safe?” Charlotte asked him shyly. 

“Of course, in fact I’m going to be home early tonight, perhaps we could watch a film together again?” 

“Yes, I’d like that. I hope you have a good evening. I’ll speak to you later.” 

They hung up just as Sidney entered the restaurant. He was hungry and found he was eager for the evening to end so he could get home to call Charlotte. 

**Thursday**

Charlotte was feeling nervous as James Stringer was booked in for an appointment at 5pm. The last time she had seen James it hadn’t gone as smoothly as their previous encounters had. Just last week they had shared a pleasant meal in her kitchen, and they had enjoyed each other's company until he had almost leaned in for a kiss while they had walked Mavis, he had seemed to take it well when she had stepped away. Charlotte had hoped it wouldn’t ruin their friendship, her leaving the bar with Sidney hadn’t helped, perhaps James felt she had led him on by inviting him for food, but she really had only invited him as a friend, she felt now that might have been naive of her. 

Charlotte had half an hour before James was due to arrive, she chewed her thumb staring out of the window lost in thought. Sidney was coming home tomorrow and had asked if they could spend the weekend together, she had confirmed that they could and added that she would like that a lot. Accepting his invitation had felt like the most natural way to answer his tentative question, she loved how shy he had sounded when he had asked her in the middle of watching Fifty First Dates. She smiled thinking how soft and sweet he really was, which was the opposite of when she first met him. 

Her phone rang, breaking her away from her thoughts of Sidney. As she looked at the screen, she saw his name flash up as though she had conjured him with her very thoughts. 

“Hello you OK?” 

“Hey, shouldn’t you be working?” She could hear his grin through the phone as he spoke, his rich baritone voice caressing her ear through the phone. 

“Well, I have 20 minutes until my next client. I could say the same about you. Actually, why aren’t you busy working?” 

“My computer is on; I have files all around me and I am currently on a particularly important call. I’m almost finished for the week. Erm, I’m thinking of travelling back to Sanditon tonight, I wondered if you wanted to stay at my house tonight?” Sidney was tapping his pen against the mug and Charlotte could hear its high-pitched ping each time it hit the china, he was fidgeting just as much as she usually did under his intense gaze. 

“I thought you had another Christmas party tonight?” Charlotte was puzzled how he would be back in time for a decent sleep if he were going out first. It didn’t seem very logical to her. 

“I do, I can most likely leave by 11pm, meaning I’ll be back around half 12, I’m working from home in the morning, so I won’t need to be up too early. I’ll try to leave the party earlier, but it doesn’t start until 8pm.” Sidney sighed, he really wanted to see her tonight but was concerned he was being a bit needy. His sleep had been so broken this week, which was unusual for him. Normally he slept well but since he had slept with Charlotte it didn’t seem he could sleep without her. 

“Why don’t you come to mine? I don’t want to drive at that time of night, and I would have to bring Mavis.” 

“I can get Mary to give you the spare key to let yourselves in, you know Mavis is welcome at my house. Her food is still in the cupboard remember. If you prefer me to come to your house, I’m happy to, I just want to see you.” 

Charlotte couldn’t stop herself from smiling, those last few words that he had said were perfect, they summed up her own feelings. She looked over at Mavis who was fast asleep in her bed, Charlotte was slightly envious, since Sidney had left for London her sleep had been awful, she was completely out of her usual routine because of their late-night calls and then being unable to sleep after they had hung up as she went through every word they had said. 

“Charlotte are you there? I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pressure you. It was a stupid idea. I’ll see you tomorrow as originally planned.” Sidney blurted out as she was taking too long to reply. 

“No, Sidney I’m sorry I was working out whose house would be best. I’d really like to see you too. Wouldn’t it be odd for me to be at your house without you? Aren’t you worried I’ll read your diary?” 

A loud burst of laughter sounded down the phone as Sidney took in what she said. “No, it’ll be fine and besides my diary is in the safe. So, you’ll both be at mine tonight?” He was smiling as he realised she would be waiting for him when he got home. 

“Yes, we will.” Charlotte saw James walking up the street towards the Retreat, she didn’t want to end the call but knew it wouldn’t help her friendship with James if she was on the phone and it wouldn’t look professional either. “I’m going to have to go, my next client is almost here.” 

“OK, how long will you be there for? I’ll phone Mary now about the key.” 

“For another hour and a half. This is my last client.” 

“Great, I’ll speak to Mary and text you a time. I’ll let you go. Bye” 

“Bye” Charlotte slipped her phone into her pocket just as James opened the door. 

Charlotte was pleased to see that James seemed back to his normal self, he was chatting easily, telling her his news, and asking after her own health. Once they had dispensed with pleasantries, they moved into the massage room. They went through the usual questions and Charlotte left the room. 

Washing her hands, she heard her phone beep, she had left it in her pocket. Taking it out she quickly read the text from Sidney. 

**Sidney:** Mary has said she will drop the key to you by 6pm. Looking forward to seeing you, feel free to warm the bed ready for me 😉❤️xxx 

Charlotte felt herself blush and knew she was grinning like the cat who got the cream. Placing her phone down on the counter she quickly washed her hands again and hurried back to James in the massage room. 

Charlotte was stood in the waiting room waiting for James to appear from the massage room. The massage had gone well, and Charlotte had enjoyed it. James had great skin and muscle tone, which made her job easier when trying to find the problematic areas in the muscles. Charlotte checked the time, he was taking quite a while to come out of the room, it had been ten minutes since she had left him. She walked over and knocked lightly on the door. There was no response so she knocked a bit louder, hoping that if he had fallen asleep the knocking would wake him. There was still no answer. 

Charlotte pushed the door open slowly to find James sat up on the bed looking at his hands, thankfully fully dressed. “Are you OK? When I used the hot stones, your blood rushed to the area underneath them, so you may feel a little lightheaded. I can get you some water.” Charlotte motioned to leave the room. James looked up. 

“Charlotte, please tell me you’re not seeing Sidney Parker.” He looked almost pained as he asked her. 

“James, I’m sorry I can’t tell you that. I...” James stood up and quickly walked towards her and took hold of her hand. Charlotte stepped back to put some space between them but her back was pushed against the door. She was grateful she had kept the door open so could be seen if anyone walked past the window. The intense look in James’s eye made her a little uncomfortable. 

“You shouldn’t be with a guy like him. He’s always been a player since school, you can’t trust him.” Charlotte tried to pull her hand away, but James stepped closer again. “Charlotte, I would look after you, treasure you and love you like you deserve.” He leaned towards her looking between her eyes and her lips and whispered, “We could be really good together, if you just let it happen.” 

Charlotte needed to move, she didn’t want James to kiss her, with her free hand she placed it on his chest and applied pressure to stop him. He paused and leant back to standing up straight, she took the opportunity to pull her hand free and step further into the waiting room putting a little distance between them. “James, I’m really sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, I have only ever seen us as friends. I’d like to stay friends, but I need you to understand that I am seeing Sidney and intend to keep seeing him.” 

“Where is he now?” He asked lifting his arms up to emphasize his point. “I heard he was in London. He goes quite often from my understanding. He has probably got a woman there that he’s with right now. He’s playing you Charlotte, just like he did that young receptionist and every other woman he’s been with.” James was talking quickly and moving his arms around just as quickly. Charlotte couldn’t understand why James was mentioning this again, Esther had said this had happened around 4 or 5 years ago. It was a long time ago, people changed. She couldn’t believe Sidney was with another woman in London, their late-night phone calls wouldn’t have been possible if he was, she knew he wouldn’t do that to her, he was coming back early to be with her. She knew James was upset but she wasn’t going to tolerate him making up stories about Sidney just to make himself look better. 

“He is in London, he’s working. James, I don’t need to defend Sidney to you, but I will if you continue speaking badly of him. I’d like us to be friends, but this must stop. I appreciate your concern but it’s unfounded and I’m going to continue seeing Sidney. If you can’t accept that then we can’t be friends and I suggest you find another masseuse too.” Charlotte stood with her back straight and her shoulders squared. She felt uncomfortable with what James was saying and with his body language. 

As James stepped forward again the bell on the door jingled drawing their attention to the person walking in. 

“Hi Charlotte, are you ready to go?” Mary asked taking in the scene in front of her, she could see that Charlotte was uncomfortable and when she glanced at James, she could see he was breathing a little heavier than she would expect for a friendly chat. 

“Hi Mary, yes I am. I’ll just get my coat and Mavis.” She smiled gratefully at Mary and then turned back to James. “If you transfer the money like last time that would be great. Good night James.” Charlotte turned and walked into the back kitchen area to collect her things, she heard the bell jingle again and Mary appeared at the door. 

“Are you ok? That looked a bit intense. I hope I didn’t interfere by saying what I said.” Mary asked kindly, she could see that Charlotte was clearly shaken, her whole demeanor was different from when Mary had been here earlier in the week. 

“Yes, I’m fine. Just a misunderstanding and what you said was perfect thank you.” Charlotte felt a little bit shaken and was glad that Mary had arrived when she did, she still had to walk home and for the first time since arriving in Sanditon she felt scared to do so. 

“Here’s the key from Sidney. He told me to tell you to make yourself at home, the house should be warm enough, but the control is in the downstairs toilet.” Mary stepped closer and held the key out for Charlotte to take, as she reached for the key, they could both see Charlotte’s hand was shaking. “Charlotte, are you sure you’re ok? You look a little pale?” 

“Yes, I’m fine. Just tired.” Charlotte smiled bravely at Mary, she turned away a little as she slipped her coat on, but Mary didn’t miss her wipe a tear away from her cheek. 

“Come on I’ll walk you to your car.” 

Charlotte explained that she was walking home and was grateful when Mary offered her a lift home. After Charlotte locked the door of The Retreat, they walked together towards Mary’s Mercedes which was parked at the end of the street chatting like old friends. Mary tried to ask Charlotte what had happened before she had arrived, but Charlotte wouldn’t say anything other than it had been a misunderstanding. 

Charlotte decided to have her food at home and have a bath before heading to Sidney’s house. While her food was cooking, she packed an overnight bag and let Mavis run around in the small back garden. 

As she stood watching Mavis, she tried to shake off what James had said. Sidney had never missed one of her calls and over the four nights he had been away had been relaxed during every call with no rush to end their conversations. She hadn’t liked the way James had gripped her hand either, she had felt trapped and unable to get away. She decided that unless he apologised for the way he had acted and what he had said their friendship was over and she wouldn’t allow him to book any more appointments. She was always alone in the Retreat apart from Mavis and after his behaviour she realised how vulnerable she was. She would need to speak to her old mentor about ways to make herself safer. 

Sidney was just slipping on his tuxedo jacket to leave the house when his phone rang, hoping it was Charlotte he picked it up. Surprised to see Mary’s name he answered it, concerned something was wrong with Tom or one of the children. As he listened to Mary explain what she had seen when she had dropped the key off to Charlotte, he could feel himself getting angrier, how dare Stringer put Charlotte in an uncomfortable position because of their dislike for each other. It was a good thing he was in London because if he were in Sanditon he would have searched Stringer out and punched him. He was tired of people spreading false rumours and the final straw was making Charlotte cry. 

After speaking to Mary, Sidney decided to phone Charlotte, he could tell by her voice that she was upset and hiding something from him. He told her that Mary had mentioned Stringer was at the Retreat, but she brushed it off saying he had had an appointment with her. He didn’t want to push her for the details but wanted to check that James hadn’t upset her. He heard her sniff as he asked her again about what had happened, in a quiet voice she told him to have a good evening, and that she would see him later when he got home. 

Sidney got in the car and enabled the Bluetooth speaker, as he pulled out of the garage, he rang his client whose party he was due to attend to let him know he wouldn’t be there. 

As he joined the motorway, he tried to calm himself down, he didn’t want Charlotte to think he was angry with her, but it was time he had a word with James Stringer. Perhaps he would call at his garage tomorrow and explain to James that if he had a problem with him, he should speak to Sidney himself rather than go through Charlotte. 

The journey had felt longer than usual, and Sidney was grateful to finally pull into his driveway and to see Charlotte's car parked to the side of the garage. He felt his heart swell at the thought of her being in his house waiting to welcome him home. He had missed her and was glad to be back. He noticed she had left the light on in the hallway for him, he smiled at the considerate touch. 

After checking the kitchen and the living room he walked upstairs, Mavis ran out of the door to greet him, he bent down and stroked her head, he looked up to see a low light glowing in his bedroom, he straightened up and walked into the room to see Charlotte propped up in the bed, wearing his hoody with her hair in two braids, she looked up at him stood in the doorway and gasped. 

“You’re back early.” She smiled at him and let her eyes travel down his body, taking in the crisp white shirt and the form fitting black trousers he wore. As her eyes travel back to his face, she licked her bottom lip and sucked it into her mouth. He looked even better in person in his tuxedo than he did in his photograph, it took every inch of restraint she had not to hop out of bed and jump on him. 

Sidney walked towards the bed, kissed her forehead, and sat down next to her; he knew if he kissed her lips, he wouldn’t be able to stop. “I wanted to check on you, you sounded upset on the phone, so I came home early.” He put his hand on the other side of her legs and leaned on it. Even in her comfy casuals she looked beautiful, he wanted to kiss her and make love to her, having her here in his bed looking like she had always belonged here confirmed to him that after all this time, the right person had finally walked into his life and was worth risking everything for. 

They talked for a few minutes about what had happened with James at the Retreat, although Charlotte didn’t tell Sidney all the details of what James had said. Sidney struggled not to lose his temper as Charlotte told him she had felt frightened when she had been backed against the door, even though she was sure that wasn’t what James had intended to do and that he would apologise to her the next day, that he was just upset. She explained that she felt it was her fault as she hadn’t spotted the signs that he liked her as more than a friend until last week and hadn’t really let him down gently. 

Sidney couldn’t understand how Charlotte could still defend Stringer’s actions after he had frightened her like that, he was so grateful that Mary had walked in when she had, he hated to think what may have happened if she hadn’t. As sure as he was that Stringer wouldn’t have hurt Charlotte physically, he didn’t like the idea that he could have if he had wanted to. Sidney watched Charlotte as she fiddled with the sleeve on her jumper, he could tell she was still upset, and he didn’t want to upset her further. He calmly explained he didn’t think it was her fault and that he would have a friendly word with James next time he saw him. Sidney kissed her forehead before standing up to go to the toilet and to get changed. 

Charlotte would have liked to help him undress but instead stayed in the bed and waited for him to come back into the room. She was rewarded for her patience as he stepped into the room in just his black boxer shorts, the soft lighting highlighted the definition of every muscle. Charlotte watched him walk towards her with a slight swagger and a smirk on his face. “That’s twice you’ve done that to me tonight, I’m starting to think you’re only here for my body.” He laughed as he saw her blush, he loved the way she reacted to his teasing. 

“Are you going to wear that jumper to bed?” He asked as he slipped under the duvet. In response Charlotte pulled the jumper off and dropped it to the floor in a heap. Mavis was back in her bed by the window, so they switched the light off. 

***************************************************************************************************************************

Moving closer together they kissed softly. The intensity of their kisses increased, both feeling they wanted to be closer than they already were. Sidney slowly pulled up Charlotte’s t-shirt that she was wearing as part of her pyjamas, softly grazing her breasts with his fingers as he lifted it over her head. They continued to kiss with a slow passion, enjoying reconnecting after being apart. Without words they both removed their bottoms, and Sidney reached over to the bedside table to grab the condoms, he pulled one out of the box and laid back down next to Charlotte to slip it on. He kissed her slowly and she returned his kiss with equal passion and pulled him over her. Opening her legs to let him settle between them. Bathed in the moonlight from the large window they kissed, as Sidney pulled his head back to look at her face, their eyes connected, he slowly pushed his cock into her, neither of them breaking eye contact. As they made love slowly, both working together to build the right rhythm. Charlotte raised her arms above her head, pulling Sidney’s hands with them, which meant more of his weight was on her and his face was closer to her own. They continued the slow dance that they had created, neither willing to look away even with their faces only inches apart. Sidney could feel that Charlotte was getting closer to coming undone under him, just as she came with a quiet moan he followed. He lowered his face to hers and pushed a stray hair away from her forehead with his fingers, softly caressing her skin as he placed a loving kiss on her lips. Their eyes had never left each other's until that moment. Both knew they had given themselves fully to the other but each too scared to voice their feelings. 

After a few minutes of laying like this, Sidney moved and disappeared quickly to the ensuite to dispose of the condom. Settling back into bed with Charlotte, they got comfortable, with Sidney spooning her. His arm under her head and her body pulled flush against him, with his other arm draped over her waist. Charlotte sighed contentedly. She felt him kiss her hair and closed her eyes safely cocooned in his arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry I forgot to add this earlier. 
> 
> It's a song that I listened to a few times when writing this chapter.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq-r4ZUpels


	14. Friday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a couple of the more risque moments in this chapter so I have marked them with **** at the beginning of said moment and at the end so feel free to skip over them. They weren't planned but Sidney and Charlotte had ideas of their own.
> 
> Thanks so much for all the comments and kudos they are great motivation to write the next chapter. 
> 
> As always I hope you enjoy this chapter

Sidney woke up to a cold bed, he had expected to find Charlotte still in his arms , but  they were empty as  was  the bed . He sat up and looked towards the window, he could see her  feet poking out from where she had tucked herself up on the chair that he normally sat in when he wanted  to hide away from the world but still see the sea.

Sidney got out of the bed and walked quietly over to where she sat. Crouching down next to her, he could see she had been crying, her eyes were puffy and damp, and he could see a wet patch on the sleeve of the jumper she wore where she had been wiping her eyes. Charlotte hadn’t heard him walk over so as he reached out and touched her arm she jumped in surprise.

“Hey, why are you awake?” He asked as he brushed a strand of hair away from her face and tucked it gently behind her ear before placing his hand on hers. 

“Sorry I hope I didn’t wake you. I had a nightmare  and couldn’t get back to sleep.”  Sidney gave her hand a squeeze and stroked the back of it soothingly. 

“Do you want to  talk about it? It may help .”

“Yeah, maybe.” She lifted her eyes up to  look into his. He could see the sadness lingering behind them. “Would you hold me while I tell you?” she whispered. Sidney nodded as he stood up, he pulled her slowly  from the chair and sat down, before pulling her gently into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her rubbing his hand up and down her back as she rested her head on his bare chest.

“What happened in your dream?” He prompted her . 

She took a breath before speaking to steady herself, Sidney could feel her shaking a little in his arms. “It was a repeat of earlier, but Mary didn’t come in and James wouldn’t let me go.” She paused to wipe her tears away and stifle a sob .  “In reality I know he wouldn’t really do that, he’s not like that, I think it just made me  realise how vulnerable I am in the Retreat by myself.” She wiped her face again and rested her head back on his chest, just under his chin. “I’m sorry, like I said it’s silly and I’ve soaked your jumper too.” 

Sidney didn’t say anything, he just kept rubbing her back as he felt fresh tears on his chest. He was so angry at Stringer, more than he had been earlier, he must have  really frightened Charlotte for it to filter into her dreams. He was so grateful that Mary had arrived when she had. Sidney had never heard anything bad said about Stringer from any of the women in the town, but then he reasoned he wouldn’t as he wasn’t very sociable with the locals. He knew he couldn’t let this go, he would have to speak to Stringer and tell him in no uncertain terms that he was to stay away from Charlotte. He wasn’t prepared to risk her safety with Stringer or anyone else for that matter. 

“Sidney? Are you awake?” Charlotte lifted her head, he had stopped rubbing her back and his breathing had become heavier, yet when she looked at him his eyes looked straight back at her. “I’m sorry I woke you and about this.” Charlotte held up her arm to show him the wet patch. “I’ll take it home and wash it tomorrow” She gave him a shy smile before looking down again embarrassed by her tears that just wouldn’t seem to stop. 

“Charlotte, look at me. You have nothing to be sorry about. You had a shock tonight, someone you trusted scared you, it’s understandable that you’re upset. Come here.” He pulled her closer, so she was leaning against him again, he circled her with his arms and rested his cheek on her head. “As for the jumper, you can keep it, it looks much better on you than me.” He kissed the top of her head. 

They sat in silence, listening to each other breathing quietly, looking out over the cliff top to the sea. As there weren’t any clouds the moon was illuminating the water which was softly rippling beyond the garden. Sidney was slowly stroking Charlotte’s back while she was tracing circles on his forearm which was draped across her waist. Both content and relieved to be back in each other’s arms.

Eventually Charlotte’s tears stopped, and she sat up again to look at Sidney. His head was resting back against the chair, his eyes closed, asleep. His face was relaxed, and she had never seen someone look so peaceful. Charlotte  couldn’t stop herself from lifting her hand and delicately stroking his hair just above his forehead, then running her fingertips along his eyebrow before tenderly cupping his cheek as she leaned in to kiss his lips softly. She felt him jump slightly under her lips before returning her kiss. Charlotte felt him move his hand slowly up her leg, then caress her arm as it made its way to the back of her head, where he pushed his fingers into her hair. They kissed slowly and sensually, making love with their lips, telling each other their  secrets, and opening their souls to each other.

Charlotte felt Sidney lean forward and place his hands under her knees, he stood up and carried her to the bed and placed her down on the mattress gently, all while still kissing her lips. 

Charlotte moved across the bed to make room for him as he slid in next to her. She pulled the cover up over them and settled on the pillow next to him gazing into his dark eyes. Charlotte couldn’t believe the strength of her feelings in this moment, she had never felt love in such a way before, it wasn’t just in her head and in her heart, it was a feeling that radiated throughout her body. 

***************************

They moved their heads slowly together and resumed the wordless conversation that they had started in the chair. This time their passion built, and they  couldn’t stop their hands from roaming each other's bodies, stroking,  caressing, and pulling each other closer. Sidney lowered his hand to stroke her with  tantalisingly soft movements causing Charlotte to moan and push herself closer, opening herself up to his large fingers, which deftly pushed inside her. Charlotte gasped at the feeling before returning her lips to his not wanting to miss a single kiss. Pressed up against him Charlotte felt herself losing control as the sensations he was creating within her body began to take over. As she climaxed, he held her tight to his body, holding her as she climbed high with her orgasm before floating back to him, kissing him fully instead of letting their lips  graze against each other . 

Sidney relaxed his hold as he turned to the bedside table, he managed to grab a condom with his one hand as the other was still under Charlotte’s head. He turned back to her to see she had her eyes open, staring at him in the darkness, without words she took the condom from him and took hold of his cock, caressing it softly before tightening her grip as she  moved her hand up and down its length. As he moaned, her hand stilled, and she slipped the condom on. Once she was done, she returned her dark eyes to his almost black ones and she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth before hooking her leg over his hip and rolling them, so he was on his back. She looked away from his eyes to guide him into her, then as she moved with the help of his hands on her hips, they stared lovingly into each other's eyes. 

Lifting her jumper over her head, Sidney’s eyes strayed to her breasts and he sat up to be able to kiss them, sucking her nipple into his mouth as she whimpered in pleasure. He returned his lips to her mouth, as they came together breathing heavily, they could each feel the grin spread across the other’s lips. Sidney laid back pulling Charlotte down on top of him. Charlotte slipped to his side and nestled her head on his chest, his arm wrapped around her. It was like this that they fell asleep.

********************************

Sidney was walking along the golden sand hand in hand with Charlotte as the sun was setting into the glistening sea. Just as he turned fully to look at Charlotte, he could hear a dog barking in the distance, disturbing his thoughts slightly, he could feel the ring box in his pocket so decided to ignore the distant commotion. As he looked into her eyes, he dropped slowly to rest on one knee, but the barking got louder, ruining the ambience of the sunset walk. He looked around but couldn’t see a dog anywhere, yet the barking was so loud it was as if the dog was next to him. As he looked up at Charlotte with the box in his hand, he felt a shove to his side as the barking continued. Sidney could feel himself moving away from Charlotte as she said, “Mavis shush now, shush I’m up.” Sidney opened his eyes to see Mavis sat on the floor next to the bed staring at him, and Charlotte bending down to pick her up. “Oh, I’m sorry, she needs to go outside.” She leaned over him and kissed him before walking out of the room. 

Sidney flung his arm over his eyes and laid on his back. His thoughts were in a jumble, the dream still fresh in his mind. He didn’t want to propose to Charlotte, the idea hadn’t even entered his head. They needed to get to know each more before he would even consider a proposal, perhaps they would even live together first, so he couldn’t understand where the dream had come from. He turned back to his side to look out of the window, even living together was some way off in the future, they had only been seeing each other for a week and 4 days of that he had been in London. 

He glanced at the clock and remembered it was Friday. He needed to get ready for work, although he was working from home this morning he still liked to be dressed at a reasonable time. Trying to shake the dream from his mind he walked into the  ensuite to turn the shower on, hoping the water would help clear his thoughts. 

Standing under the large rain shower head Sidney closed his eyes and tilted his head up so the water would run over his face before leaning his hand against the wall in front of him and dropping his head down, watching the water cascade over him and down the plug hole. As he was staring at his feet, he heard a tap on the glass, he looked up to see Charlotte holding his mobile up for him to see.

“It was on the kitchen table, it’s rung four times since I’ve been downstairs, I thought I should bring it up in case it’s urgent.” She said as she waggled the phone from side to side.

“It’s probably just Tom, it usually only him who calls this early. Just put it on the side there, I’ll call him back later. Care to join me?” He winked at her and pushed the glass door open a little for her to step in. 

“No thanks, do you mind if I make some breakfast?” Charlotte asked not fully looking at him. Sidney closed the door and told her to help herself to whatever she wanted. She turned and left the room without even a smile. Sidney wasn’t sure what had happened between their early morning chat and now. Charlotte seemed subdued and a little uncomfortable. He sighed and thought it must be nerves about going to the Retreat today. 

After his shower he dressed in his dark grey suit trousers with a white shirt. He wouldn’t bother with a tie as he was only going to the office to see Tom and Babington. Grabbing his jacket, he went to join Charlotte for breakfast where he suggested he could work from the Retreat if she wanted some company between clients. She had looked at him with shock before declining his offer of a babysitter. He hadn’t meant to upset her by implying she needed him to look after her, he just wanted to be close by in case Stringer did turn up. From what she had told him she had handled the situation well, but he also understood it had shaken her feeling of being safe at the Retreat. 

As they ate Charlotte seemed to relax more and started meeting his eye again as they chatted about how busy their days would be. Sidney told her how he was dreading meeting with Tom later, he always had a lot of enthusiasm but wasn’t always realistic which Sidney found frustrating. Charlotte in turn told Sindey that she had a fully booked afternoon but only one client at 10am. 

“I'm really hoping my last client won’t be late, he’s got a bit of a reputation for doing so unfortunately.” Charlotte smirked at him as she stood up and walked away towards the sink. 

“Well, he sounds like a right pain in the  arse . Although I’m sure he does his  absolute best not to be late.” Sidney was behind her now as she washed the cups and plates in the sink. 

**************************

He pushed his hands under her t-shirt and cupped her breasts and kissed her neck, sucking lightly on the sensitive skin just below her ear. She moaned as he squeezed her nipple while pressing his arousal into her. He continued his ministrations on her one breast while his other hand dipped into the front of her  pyjamma trousers, Charlotte pushed her head back against his shoulder as he slipped his finger into her, she could feel his kisses on her neck as she gave into the pulses of pleasure that were starting to  radiate through her body. 

She pushed her bum against him and heard him moan deeply in her ear. At that moment Charlotte knew she just wanted him inside her, she wanted to release the tension that was tightly coiled within her. She pushed her trousers down to give him better access. Then she reached behind her to rub her hand along the bulge in the front of Sidney’s trousers. 

He pulled his hand away from her to reach for his wallet, he could tell that Charlotte was already close and her breathing indicated she wanted all of him. As he fiddled with his wallet she turned and kissed him, pushing her tongue into his mouth, and pulling his head down while her fingers dug into the back of his neck. He hissed as her nails scraped his skin and sucked her lip into his mouth in return. 

He managed to undo his trousers and drop them to the floor before slipping the condom on as Charlotte lifted herself up to rest on the edge of the sink, he gripped her bum and pushed into her. There was none of the gentleness from the night before this wasn’t making love this was fucking and they both found they liked it just as much as they had enjoyed their slower love making. 

As Sidney gripped the sink with one hand and held on to Charlotte with the other, he knew he was going to come fast and hard as it was already building, Charlotte was biting his neck and pulling his hair, with every nip he increased the force of his thrust until he was sure he would break the sink with the pressure they were putting on it. He had never been so grateful for his solid Belfast sink as he was in that moment. 

Charlotte was lost in the moment, lost in the feeling of Sidney, as he thrust into her, throwing her head back she cried out his name in ecstasy while still gripping his hair. As the second orgasm coursed through her body, she leaned forward to anchor herself to him, she felt boneless and as he met his release, moaning her name into her hair as she felt his legs buckle under him slightly. 

************************************

They stayed resting against the sink before Charlotte slid slowly to the floor, placing her feet tentatively down to check they would hold her weight. Grinning at each other they righted their clothes. 

“Oh shit, I’m sorry your shirt is soaked.” Charlotte grabbed the tea towel from the side and  attempted to dry the wet patch.

“Don’t worry, I can change. Come here.” Sidney pulled her back into his arms and kissed her tenderly, “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He asked as he stroked her face and stared lovingly into her eyes. 

“Not at all.” She kissed him softly before pulling back “I hope I didn’t hurt you, your neck is a bit red.” She grimaced as she saw the marks she had caused on his skin. He shook his head and captured her lips once more and murmured against them that he had liked it.

Sidney was preparing for a meeting with Tom and Babington about the ball, he was hoping that Tom would report all the tickets had been sold and that everything had been  organised and  finalised with the suppliers and all the people who would be needed on the night. He  couldn’t believe it was already the 20 th of December. New Year’s Eve would be upon them before they knew it. Sidney  wasn’t a fan of New Year’s Eve parties, over the years he had been to so many, holding on to the  great expectation that as the clock struck midnight a magic spell would be cast, and the new year would be better than the last. Sidney knew his life  wasn’t a bad life, but he wanted it to change, he felt this year could be different. For a start he was attending the ball with Charlotte, that was a dramatic difference from normally attending parties alone.  Perhaps this year the magic spell of happiness would work, and the new year would truly be full of promise. 

He hoped so, after their love making last night and this  morning, he felt they were on the right track to something special. He grinned to himself he couldn’t ever remember a time he had referred to sex as love making, fucking yes but not love making, but that is what they had done. They had connected in more than just a physical way, as he had gazed into her eyes, he had surrendered himself to her and she to him. He loved her, after only knowing her two weeks he loved her. He laughed aloud into the quiet room suddenly feeling lighter and years younger at the revelation of his thoughts and accepting them as the truth. He sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, after all these years of not letting anyone close, it had only taken her two weeks to break his resolve and change his life. Not a believer of love at first sight Sidney smiled again, cupid had certainly hit a bull’s eye this time. 

His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing, he looked at it and saw Georgiana’s name on the screen. He sighed, she had already rung 7 times this morning, he had so far managed to avoid her. He loved her dearly, but she was a little too insistent sometimes and Sidney knew she wouldn’t like what he was going to say. He wasn’t in the mood for a confrontation with her, for someone who was so intelligent and so mature, she acted like a child when she couldn’t get her own way. He had given her as much freedom as he could with her money, her parents had trusted him to keep it safe until she was twenty-five. When they had asked him his opinion, he had suggested that twenty-one would be a better age to allow her part or even full access to it, but they had disagreed. When they had involved him in the discussion about her age, he hadn’t been aware of their plan for him to be the named trust holder, if he had he would have pushed harder for them to lower the age, as well as find someone with more experience and who was more suitable for the role. 

Georgiana’s parents had been close friends of Sidney’s when he lived in London with Eliza. He had meet Stan Lambe at his first job after university and would be forever grateful that Stan had taken him under his wing. Sidney had thought he was prepared for the world of work, but it had come as a shock the difference between university and the large office he had become part of. Stan had been with the company ten years and was eight years older than Sidney. Throughout their friendship Stan had advised Sidney on when to invest, how much to invest as well as the office politics that needed to be negotiated if he was going to get ahead. They had spent hours outside of work building up Sidney’s investment portfolio and had hoped their wives would form a close friendship also, but Eliza hadn’t been interested and often made other plans when she knew the Lambe’s were coming to the house. Then suddenly Stan and Olivia were gone, killed in a car accident leaving behind a thirteen-year-old Georgiana. Thankfully, they had named Olivia’s sister as her guardian but had put strict instructions on her inheritance that Sidney was to oversee it, allowing her a substantial allowance each month. Stan had left instructions about how much he wanted Sidney to invest per month and how much was to stay as the permanent balance. Sidney had learnt to play the stock markets through Stan, but he disliked doing it with other people’s money, he had grown more comfortable with the process over the years, but he felt at twenty-three Georgiana should be in charge of her own money and her own destiny. 

As the phone fell silent, Sidney sighed he would have to deal with her soon. Her idea was a good one, but it required more of an investment than her father's stipulations allowed Sidney to make, which was something Georgiana never seemed to grasp. He collected his files and left the house ready to face Tom.

Charlotte was sat in the kitchen area of the Retreat eating her lunch when the bell on the door went. Brushing the crumbs from her top she followed Mavis into the main waiting room. She stopped in the doorway and looked back at her phone, why hadn’t she picked it up, she had promised Sidney she would  always keep it on her and now she had left it on the table. James Stringer was stood near the door and Charlotte felt instantly uncomfortable. 

“Hi Charlotte, I’ve come to apologise. I was out of order last night. I would really like us to remain friends.” He took a tentative step forward but stopped when he saw the look on Charlotte’s face. 

“Thanks James it’s good of you to  apologise . I appreciate it.” Charlotte crossed her arms across her front, hugging herself tight. “I know you have an appointment between Christmas and New Year but I’m going to have to cancel your appointments until further notice. I’ll contact you when it’s possible to book another appointment.” Charlotte looked at him squarely in the face. She was disappointed to cancel his appointments she had considered James a friend and someone she had felt safe with, but after last night she didn’t want to be alone with him.

“Charlotte, I...” James stepped closer again, and Charlotte fought the urge to step back, they were in full view of the large shop front windows where they currently stood, and although he was still a distance away, she didn’t want him any closer. “Ok, I understand. I honestly just don’t want you to be hurt as you inevitably will be if you keep seeing him.”   
  
Charlotte squinted at him, why was he so sure, what had happened to make James think like this about Sidney? Charlotte was sure that Esther wouldn’t have encouraged her to get to know Sidney if he was guaranteed to hurt her. Yet James seemed so sure. “Why do you think he’s going to hurt me?” she asked leaning against the door frame for support.

James pushed his hands in his pockets and looked out of the window obviously weighing up his words before speaking. “Do you really want to know?” He looked at Charlotte with his head bent to the side. He saw a small nod and breathed out heavily. “It’s what he does. Ask any of the women he slept with in town, never calling them back. Plus, he dated my cousin, before he went off to university, promised her he’d keep in touch and come back to visit her. He didn’t do any of that, practically dropped off the world. Then he came back married. My cousin was heartbroken. He knows how to get what he wants; he uses it and then throws it away. That’s the kind of man he is.” James shrugged before looking out of the window. “He’s just got form for hurting people.”

“I’m sorry about your cousin but that was a long time ago, Sidney went to university at 18, he’s 36 now.” Charlotte spoke softly as she looked at James “He’s older and hopefully wiser. James ultimately, it’s my decision to make. I’ve taken on board what you’ve said, but it doesn’t change my feelings for him.” They stood in silence for a few minutes both lost in their thoughts as they looked out of the window. 

Charlotte’s phone rang loudly in the silence, she turned to look at it and then back to James. “ Goodbye James.” She turned away from him to retrieve her phone. As she answered  it, she heard the bell jingle and the door softly close, she breathed out a sigh of relief, before turning her attention to her sister. 

Charlotte was exhausted after a busy afternoon, her arms were starting to  ache, and she was feeling hungry, not a great combination for her. She looked at the clock, five minutes until his appointment started and he still  wasn’t here. Sidney really was pushing her limits with the rules she had set in the Retreat. She found herself smiling as she knew she would wait however long it took for him to arrive. She had missed him and desperately wanted him to hold her before they started his massage. Charlotte knew she had to be professional, but a quick hug  wouldn’t hurt. 

At five passed six the door pushed  open, and he was walking through it towards her. “I’m so sorry. I got stuck with Tom, I ended up walking out while he was still talking. Babington is still with him.”

“ Well Mr. Parker, I may have to charge you double for your tardiness.” She stood up and walked towards him smiling. 

“That’s fine Miss Heywood, but once you meet  Tom, you’ll give me a refund as you’ll see what I mean straight away.” He grinned at her as she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him. He pulled her closer with his arm around her waist. Charlotte pulled back and moved away.

“Come on, let's get this done so we can leave. I’m getting hungry.” Sidney followed Charlotte into the massage room where they managed to act in a very professional manner. 

After Sidney’s massage Charlotte stayed in the room with him as he dressed, they talked about Stringer’s apology and her effectively banning him from the Retreat until further notice. Sidney was could see the tension in Charlotte’s body as she talked about his visit, her shoulders were  high, and her brow furrowed. Sidney stood to pull his trousers up and walked over to her as he zipped them up. He pulled her against his bare chest and kissed the top of her head. He loved how she fitted against him, they seemed to fit so well as though they had been made from the same  mould . 

“Why don’t I give you a massage? These shoulders seem particularly tense tonight. I won’t be as good as your usual guy but what I lack in technique I’ll make up in enthusiasm.” Sidney was rubbing her back soothingly and felt her nestle into him more.

“I’d really like that, but to be honest I just want to get out of here tonight. I need to go home and get some things before coming to yours. Shall I pick up a  takeaway on my way over?”

“I’ll cook something and have it ready for when you arrive. Shall we say half eight?” Charlotte pulled her head away from his chest and kissed his lips quickly before untangling herself from his arms. 

“Sounds great. Thank you.” 

As they walked toward Charlotte’s car together, they saw James Stringer walking towards them with his head down, as they got closer, he looked up and just nodded at them as they walked past each other. Sidney squeezed Charlotte's hand to reassure her. Sidney felt awful that their friendship had been affected because of him and he understood that it must be upsetting for her losing one of her friends .  He hoped Charlotte  wouldn’t come to resent him for the loss of their friendship, but as they stopped at her car, he  realised it  wasn’t really his fault they had broken their friendship. Stringer had damaged it by trying to force Charlotte to choose him and then not accepted her decision. He pulled her to him and kissed her fully, he  didn’t care they were in the street everyone seemed to know  anyway, and they had nothing to hide . 

Sidney heard the doorbell ring and wondered why Charlotte hadn’t used the spare key to let herself in. He looked around the kitchen to check everything was as he wanted it. In his head he quickly went through his check list for the garden and was certain everything was ready. He turned and quickly walked to the door. Swinging the door open wide, he felt his smile drop. 

“Crowe, since when have you knocked?” Sidney looked behind Crowe to check if Charlotte was pulling up.

“I’m knocking since Babington told me about walking in on you,  you kinky sod.” Crowe laughed heartily as he saw Sidney  scowl . “Erm, can I come in Parker? It’s freezing.” Crowe motioned to move passed him. Sidney moved to the side and hoped he could get Crowe to leave before Charlotte arrived. 

As Crowe walked past Sidney he started speaking and Sidney instantly regretted opening the door to Crowe.

“I saw Eliza in London the other day, she’s married now. Did you know?” Crowe looked at Sidney, scrutinizing his facial expressions. He had never been a fan of Eliza and the feeling had always been mutual. Crowe had always struggled to understand what Sidney had seen in  her, but she had been his choice. 

“No, Crowe I didn’t know and to be frank I don’t really care. I’m glad she’s happy of course but since the divorce we haven’t had any contact and I ‘d like it to stay that way.” Sidney poured himself a glass of wine and drank from it wondering why Crowe had felt the need to tell him about Eliza, he knew they hadn’t communicated for years.

“I’ll have a glass of that.” Crowe motioned to the bottle and registered Sidney's annoyed expression. “What? I’m not driving, Dave is in the car. I can’t drive with this on, can I?” He motioned to his foot which was still in an open cast after his skiing escapades. 

“Charlotte is due here any minute and I have food cooking. It’s only enough for two.” Sidney motioned to all the pans on the stove and the plates on the table complete with candles waiting to be lit. 

“Oh, I see.  I’ll still have a quick glass. I think you may want to hear this.” He pulled out a stool and sat down at the breakfast bar and pointed to the bottle watching Sidney as he rolled his eyes at him but poured the wine into a glass anyway. “Eliza mentioned something about Tom contacting her, propositioning her to invest in the hotel.” Crowe held his hands up as he watched Sidney’s face grow dark and angry. “Wait before you say anything. She turned him down, she told me that since she met her new husband, she had some  sort of spiritual awakening and has  realised how wicked she had been to you and your family and  didn’t think it would be proper to invest in your family business. Eliza said she wanted to contact you herself but  didn’t want to open old wounds for you. It was surreal talking to her, she even  apologised to me for always excluding me from your fancy dinner parties.” He shrugged and took a gulp of his wine before continuing “Yes I was sober when I saw her before you ask. She even introduced me to her husband. He seems nice, not as handsome as you before you start sulking.” Crowe laughed, he knew he had  ruined Sidney’s evening with the news about Tom looking for investors outside of the banks, but it was unlikely  he’d see him before Christmas to tell him in person. “Look I’m sorry to bring this up tonight especially as you’re trying to woo your woman.”

Sidney let out a loud booming laugh “Woo my woman? Crowe which century are you in? Actually, don’t answer that.” Composing himself, he ran his hand through his hair. He was so angry with Tom, he needed to contact his siblings and Babington to call a meeting to discuss what to do about Tom  once and for all . He  didn’t really want to think about it tonight. Charlotte had had a difficult day and tonight was meant to help her relax. He sighed loudly. “For  fuck's sake, Tom is such an idiot. I  can’t believe  he’s gone behind our backs, especially going to Eliza of all people.  What was he thinking?  He’s a fucking liability! Have you told Babington?” Sidney gulped down his wine emptying his glass. 

“No, I thought I would tell you first. Do you want me to contact Babington since  you’re busy tonight?” 

“No, I’ll contact him tomorrow, along with Diana and Arthur. Nothing we can do tonight.” Sidney poured another glass and deliberately didn’t refill Crowe's glass. “Thanks for the information. I’ll see you out.”

“Fuck Parker you’re keen, aren’t you? Can’t I stay and say hello.” Crowe smirked at Sidney knowing full well he wouldn’t stay, he needed to get to the restaurant plus he didn’t want to watch Sidney in full seduction mode, he’d seen enough of that in the past to know what it entailed. Although cooking in his home was  something, he’d never seen him do before. Crowe stood and drank the last of his wine. “I’ll see myself out. Have a good evening buddy.” 

“See you mate, thanks again.” Sidney leaned forward and gripped the counter, breathing deeply trying to keep his anger under control. He really struggled to understand why Tom couldn’t just be satisfied with how the hotel was. It was a highly successful business that earned them all a comfortable living. It made his blood boil that not only had Tom gone behind their backs, but he had gone to Eliza after everything that had happened between them. 

Charlotte was due to arrive any minute he didn’t want to dwell on his idiot brother and his schemes. Standing up straight he gave the pan nearest him a stir before walking over to the stereo. He had his iPod in the docking station, he switched it on and adjusted the volume so it wouldn’t be too loud. Next, he turned on the two lamps near the sofa and then lit the candles on the table before switching off the main light. The lights under the top cabinets in the kitchen were enough for him to cook by. For some reason he felt nervous, but was looking forward to their weekend together, yet he felt that tonight was important. He wanted to show her that he was serious about their relationship. He was very aware that they hadn’t been seeing each other long but he needed her to know that he wanted them to be exclusive, none of this ‘we’re only seeing each other so we can date other people’ idea, he was getting too old for that kind of messing around. He had rehearsed what he wanted to say but not to the point it wouldn’t sound natural. Learning about Tom hadn’t helped his nerves, taking another sip of wine he pushed Tom from his mind and checked his watch.

Sidney finally saw Charlotte’s lights come up the driveway and park next to his car. He breathed a sigh of relief; he was starting to worry something had happened to her. Although she had spoken to Stringer earlier and he had practically ignored them on the street, Sidney still wasn’t sure Stringer would respect her wishes if Charlotte was alone. 

He opened the door and stepped out to greet her. Mavis ran over to him and he bent down to stroke her. 

“Hey girl, let’s go help with that bag.” He stood and walked over to Charlotte. He stopped by the boot where Charlotte was fumbling with her handbag and a small suitcase. He leaned down to kiss her in greeting. Silently he lifted the bag out of the car, closed the boot and took her hand in his and walked into the house together. 

As they walked inside the smell of the food flooded Charlotte's nostrils and she inhaled deeper as it smelt delicious. “Ooh something smells nice. What have you made?” 

Sidney dropped her bag at the bottom of the stairs and took her handbag and coat from her. As he did so he told her he had made Beef Wellington with new potatoes and green beans and there was gravy if she wanted it. He told her it was ready as soon as she was, he was just keeping it warm. 

They ate their food at the table bathed in the candlelight and serenaded by the music that was softly playing in the background. Charlotte felt incredibly relaxed and had enjoyed talking with Sidney, discussing their day in more detail than earlier as well as deciding what film to watch later. 

She leant back in her chair and fiddled with the stem on her wine glass watching Sidney load the plates into the dishwasher and generally tidying up the kitchen. As she was watching  him she admired how fluid his movements were and thought about how easily she could get used to evenings like this. Sidney was a very accomplished cook even if he denied it, his Beef Wellington had been perfect, the beef was succulent and the pastry crispy and light. With Sidney in charge of cooking Charlotte would certainly eat better than she currently did especially if tonight's meal was anything to go by. 

Lifting her glass to her mouth she smiled as the  realisation that she had just considered what it would be like to live with Sidney. Her thoughts were moving much quicker than they should, it had only been two weeks and she couldn’t think of anything she would  prefer to do than to spend as much time with Sidney as she could. 

Charlotte continued to watch Sidney as she finished her drink, he turned his head to look at her and caught her staring at him, he gave her one of his half smiles and a wink, she knew she had been caught ogling him again but other than blushing she didn’t care. She liked his body and wanted him to know that she appreciated the work he put into keeping it the way it was. She stood up and carried the last of the dirty plates from the table to place them on the counter next to him as he now stood at the sink with his hands in the water washing a pan. Charlotte stood on her tip toes and leaned in to give him a kiss, capturing his lips as he let out a moan from feeling her breasts pressed against his arm. Still with his hands in the water Charlotte deepened the kiss, after the torture that had been trying to stay professional while massaging him  earlier, she just wanted to let go and do what felt natural. 

Just as Sidney was about to pull his hands out of the water his phone started ringing. He dried his hands and pulled his phone out of his pocket, he looked at the display and frowned before silencing it and placing it on the unit the other side of the sink. “Go grab our coats while I finish this, I have something to show you.” He kissed her quickly and turned to go back to the washing up. 

Hand in hand they walked away from the house towards the end of the garden, Sidney was holding a torch in his free hand to show the way although it wasn’t really needed as the moonlight was so bright. Mavis was running about sniffing, enjoying the freedom of such a large garden. As they walked Charlotte could hear the waves quietly lapping at the cliffs below. It was a cold night, and she wasn’t sure why Sidney wanted to be outside and then she spotted it. He had set up a telescope and what looked like lots of soft faux fur blankets placed on a hammock next to it. 

After using the telescope to gaze at the stars they climbed into the hammock laughing wildly as it kept moving and both had drunk a little too much wine. Finally, they managed to settle on the hammock with Sidney's arm around Charlotte and her head on his chest, covered in the blankets he had brought out earlier. They fell into a comfortable silence, just comfortable to be together. Sidney occasionally dropped a kiss on Charlotte’s head and stroked her back under the blanket and she would sometimes lift her head to kiss his lips softly but mostly they just lay together enjoying a new level of closeness while feeling like the only two people in the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I listened to these songs a few times (OK a lot of times) when writing this chapter. 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqlJevY7yTQ
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BfImkUY7yc
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgRb_lfIZ6A
> 
> The star gazing is a true story, except instead of a hammock it was blow up camping bed and we had wine but we did live beside the sea. I recently saw a conversation in the Sanditon Survival Book club about star gazing which triggered the memory. Thank you to those ladies involved in that chat.
> 
> If you're on Facebook and not a member of the above group, I recommend joining the group, it's full of lovely people who all love Sanditon, reading and fanfics


	15. Monday and Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's their last day before they are separated for Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, a quick note to say thanks so much for the comments and kudos. Also thanks so much for the wonderful chats/discussions on Twitter, it really does blow my mind and mean so much. I absolutely love reading your all your thoughts and comments as we go along.
> 
> As always stop at the ****** if you don't want to read the more explicit bit(s) and start again at the 2nd ***** to carry on the chapter. 
> 
> I really hope your all happy and healthy, enjoy the chapter x

Charlotte sighed loudly; the weekend had gone far too quickly especially as she was leaving for  Willingden tomorrow. She was excited to see her family, although it had only been just over 6 weeks since she had seen them it felt so much longer. Charlotte flicked through the photos she had taken over the weekend and smiled. They hadn’t really done much on Saturday, they had stayed in Sidney’s house most of the day only leaving the bedroom for sustenance or to open the door for Mavis to go outside.

Although in the early evening Sidney had suddenly felt guilty about Mavis being stuck in the house all day so had taken her for a long walk on the beach while Charlotte soaked in his huge roll top bath. Before he had left, he had given her a full tour of the house, she was in awe of how beautiful it was. The main living room was huge with a large brown leather sofa, parquet flooring with a large soft rug, a huge tv, two walls of books, DVDs and CDs and then a wall of glass overlooking the garden. He had told her the glass doors were bifold so in the summer the whole wall could be opened leaving a completely uninterrupted view of the garden and sea beyond it. She had wanted to explore the shelves, but he had gently pulled her hand leading her to the bedrooms. There were two guest rooms, both had a view of the front of the property, leaving the master bedroom and the main bathroom with the view over the garden. She had laid in the bathtub covered in hot water and bubbles staring at the turbulent sea outside. 

They had ordered a takeaway that evening and snuggled up on the sofa feeding each other bits from the little dishes and plates they had put the food in. The chop sticks had made things interesting, and before they knew it, they had ended up on the big rug kissing and caressing each other as the film continued to play in the background. 

As Charlotte continued to scroll through her photos, she stopped on the one of Sidney in his leathers sat astride his bike just before putting his helmet on, she felt her heart literally skip a beat at the image before her. He had looked so  sexy as he was checking the bike over, he had seen her watching him, so had put his helmet down and had walked towards her with purpose . She had never been so turned on as she had in that moment, he had pulled her to his chest and kissed her senseless before breathlessly pulling away and putting his forehead against hers. If Esther hadn’t arrived, she doubted he would have left to meet Babington. 

The doorbell jingled and broke her reverie, she only had two clients booked in today, it sounded like the first had arrived and the second wasn’t until 4pm. So, her and Mavis were going home in between the clients to pack ready for her trip home. She hoped her car was big enough for all the presents.

Sidney could feel his nerves fraying and his anger rising, for some reason Arthur and Diana had told Tom about the meeting to discuss Tom’s private meetings with Eliza without warning Sidney first. Tom had arrived 20 minutes late and had disrupted the sensible discussion with his usually exuberance and flamboyance with no sense that the meeting was about stopping him. 

Tom didn’t seem to understand, that to get any sort of investment for the hotel he needed to go through the board and especially through himself and Babington as majority shareholders. Sidney was rubbing his brow when he saw a text flash up on his phone. He quickly picked it up and read the message from Georgiana, his day was just getting worse. 

He wished he could go back to the weekend and stay holed up in the house with Charlotte. It had been the perfect way to spend the weekend, it hadn’t even bothered him that Mavis had left sandy footprints through the kitchen. He hadn’t thought to take her through the garage when he had seen Charlotte stood  leaning against the French door holding a mug wearing one of his t-shirts and nothing else with her damp hair curling around her shoulders. All he had wanted to do was get inside the house and kiss her. 

He was drawn back into the room by Tom shrieking his name, Sidney quickly looked at Babington to see if he would help him out, but all Babington did was raise an eyebrow and  smirk at Sidney behind the pen he was holding to his mouth. All eyes in the room were on Sidney and he had no idea what he had missed, his mind had been too distracted by thoughts of Charlotte so he did the only thing he knew that would work – massage Tom’s ego. 

“Explain it to me again Tom, just so I completely understand your logic.” He saw Tom smile, Sidney knew his brother  thought he was winning him around to his way of thinking, but there was no way in hell that Sidney was  ever  going to allow Eliza to invest in their business, not even if hell froze over. 

Four hours later and Tom was still trying to convince them they should look for private investors, Sidney was tired and hungry. He had long surpassed his level of patience and could tell that Babington was getting close to his limit as well, they had gone around in circles trying to make Tom understand and he was at a loss of how to make Tom stop.

Babington stood up suddenly and looked around the room, Tom stopped speaking midsentence and looked at him. “Tom, I am only going to say this once as I have somewhere to be, I do not expect to have to say it again. If you find a private investor to give you the money, you will still have to get the changes you want done to be approved by myself, Sidney, Arthur and Diana. You have no reason to look for investors, the business is financially buoyant, please do not do anything stupid to  jeopardise this. Now , I wish you all a good day and a Merry Christmas. Sidney, walk with me.” Babington pushed his papers back into his  briefcase and walked out of the boardroom, followed closely by Sidney. Tom, Arthur and Diana sat in silence until the door closed. 

As they walked through the office building to the exit Babington started to speak quietly. “What are you doing Christmas Eve? Esther is having a few friends over for drinks, do you fancy joining us? Charlotte is invited as well of course.”

“Fuck Babington,” Sidney laughed “I thought you had something to say about that god awful meeting.” 

“Oh no, it’s the same old bollocks with Tom. You know even if he gets an investor, they can’t do anything, even if Arthur and Diana vote his way our collective vote supersedes theirs. You need to speak to him privately about approaching Eliza, that was pretty low of him.” They paused at the main door and turned to look at each other. “So, Parker what about Christmas Eve?” Babington pulled his car keys out of his pocket as he spoke and checked his phone. 

“Charlotte won’t be here; she’s going to her parents. I’ll come once the kids are asleep. I’m staying with Tom and Mary but I’m sure Mary won’t mind if I pop out for an hour, perhaps I’ll bring her with me and leave Tom to fend for himself.” Sidney’s phone started ringing cutting his conversation with Babington short, he checked the screen and motioned he needed to answer it.

“Yes do, come over when you’re ready. Usual dress code as Beryl will be with us.” Babington rolled his eyes as he pushed open the door. Sidney waved as he turned to walk back into the building answering his phone at the same time. 

“Georgiana, what can I do for you?” Sidney had forgotten to call her back over the weekend but that wasn’t unusual for him, she had called a few times and sent him a few texts which wasn’t unusual for her. As he walked back to the boardroom he listened to Georgiana as she vented her frustration and anger at him, firstly for not calling her back and secondly for not having control of her own money. He listened patiently until her tirade finished as he had already told her numerous times that he agreed with her. 

Eventually she stopped yelling and Sidney explained again about the restraints on her capital once more. Her idea of buying a large farm on the outskirts of Edinburgh to turn into her own vet practice with some of her fellow students was a great idea as far as Sidney could tell. He had seen their business plan and it all stacked up, but they  couldn’t get a mortgage for even half the amount they needed without Georgiana investing a  substantial amount first. Unfortunately for Georgiana, Stan had been  extremely strict about how much she could withdraw before she was twenty-five and Sidney had no choice but to adhere to this . 

Once they had gone through it all again, they discussed their plans for the Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations. Georgiana had decided to stay in Edinburgh with her boyfriend Otis, Sidney had only met him a few times and although he seemed a little quiet, he had appeared nice enough. Thankfully for Sidney the part about worrying about Georgiana’s love life mainly fell to Olivia’s sister, Teresa, he just had to deal with the tantrums about not having enough pocket money each month. 

They were closer than he expected them to become but it was more of a sibling relationship than that of a parent/child one. A few times Georgiana had arrived at Bedford Place unannounced because she had run away from Teresa and her husband, Sidney had always listened to her, provided her with a large amount of chocolate, a  duvet and watched a chick flick with her once he had let Teresa know that Georgiana was safe. That had stopped after the summer she had worked at the hotel, she had moved to Edinburgh and in the  almost 5 years she had been there she had only been back to see himself and Teresa a handful of times. Although he had visited her more, using her place in the very same way she had used Bedford Place, though it was Tom he was escaping rather than a parent. 

He was flying up to see her for her graduation in a few months, he hadn’t  organised where he would stay this time as he knew Teresa was staying with Georgiana and he would need to book a hotel. He decided in that moment that he would book somewhere a bit more romantic than usual and ask Charlotte if she would like to join him so she could meet Georgiana. 

As he thought about it, he  realised he hadn’t told Charlotte about Georgiana, he wouldn’t tell her tonight though as she was leaving tomorrow and he just wanted to enjoy being with her, without any distractions. He would tell her once she was back from her parent’s house. 

As Charlotte pushed the key into the door she smiled, she liked the idea of having a key to Sidney’s house, even if she knew she was giving it back tonight it had made her happy that he had trusted her to keep hold of it since Thursday. She pushed the door open, and Mavis ran in happily, straight into the kitchen where the sound of pots and pans were being moved around as well as Sidney singing before he stopped and greeted Mavis. She pushed the door closed and kicked off her shoes before joining them in the kitchen. 

“Hey, good day?” She leaned on the kitchen island as he drained the vegetables in the sink. He put the pan down and pulled her to him. Kissing her slowly and breathing her in. 

“Not particularly. Tom is an  idiot, but you don’t want to hear about him on your last night here. How was your day?” Charlotte had her one hand on his chest and was playing with his hair on the back of his neck with the other. She sighed and looked up at him.

“It was fine. I’m glad to be here now though.” He lifted her chin with his thumb and looked in her eyes. 

“What happened? I didn’t think you had many people booked in.” 

“I didn’t. Nothing happened,  it’s silly. Tell me about Tom, he sounds a bit of a character and nothing at all like you.” Sidney kissed her again, enjoying holding her in his  arms.

“Tell me what it is first then I will  regale you with the tale of Tom and his fantastical ideas.” He grinned at her, she looked down away from him. 

“It’s just because you mentioned it being my last night. I’m excited to see my family but I’m going to miss this.” She waggled a finger back and forth between them. She looked up through her eyelashes “I’m going to miss you.” Charlotte whispered just as Sidney's lips crashed against hers. 

Sidney  couldn’t remember a time when someone had said they would miss him. It had  most likely been his mother several years ago and here was this beautiful, caring, fun, intelligent and courageous woman telling him she would miss him while she was surrounded by her own family. His heart swelled and his love for her doubled. He deepened the kiss and buried his hands in her hair. He wanted to tell her that he would miss her far more than she would miss him, he wanted to tell her that he loved her but instead he pulled her closer against his chest and hoped that she could feel it through his kisses. As they deepened their kiss, their hands roaming in and out of each other's hair the smoke alarm sounded loudly pulling them apart abruptly. 

“Shit.” Sidney swore as he turned the heat off under the salmon which was now inedible. “Sorry, this is ruined. The rest is fine, but  I think even the pan is only fit for the bin.” He held the pan up for Charlotte to see from her position of flapping the tea towel below the smoke sensor. 

Charlotte laughed as she walked over to him, taking the pan from him, and inspecting it closely. “Yes, I don’t think this can be rescued. It looks like we have plenty of everything else though.  Let’s eat  what is here and then I have some cake. I’m so hungry I could probably even attempt to eat this.” She held the pan up to enforce her point. 

During their meal Charlotte asked Sidney again to tell her about his day. As they sat eating Sidney explained how Tom had always been the visionary, the idea man and while that had improved the business no end when they had the investment from Sidney's  marriage, but Tom hadn’t learnt how to scale back once the money had gone. Sidney told Charlotte how he had sold two houses for less than their worth so he could plug the gap created by the investment being withdrawn and it still hadn’t quite been enough, even after ploughing a substantial amount of his savings into the business he had eventually spoken to Babington who agreed to invest for a share of the business. Babington and Esther were looking to settle in  Sanditon and it made sense for them to have a business here. Sidney sighed, and reached for Charlotte’s hand on the table. He stroked the back of her hand and looked up at her. 

“My main concern now isn’t really Tom getting into debt, Babington and I have built up a good back up fund since we took over but don’t ever tell Tom that will you?” He grinned at her as she shook her head at him. She squeezed his hand gently to encourage him to go on. “My main concern is that Crowe told me that Tom has approached Eliza for money.  Apparently, she’s rejected his proposal, but  I’m concerned he has inadvertently brought her back into my life, into our lives.” He stopped and pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. “I don’t want her to affect what we have.” He swallowed and hoped she understood he was talking about their relationship rather than the hotel. “From what Crowe said, Eliza seems very different, is very happy as well as being content with her life.” He sighed, and looked away, he saw Mavis curled up on the sofa and smiled. Even though he was talking about Tom and Eliza, Sidney had never felt so content, he knew Charlotte was listening to him and not judging him for having concerns even though they were talking about his ex-wife possibly entering their lives when they had only just found each other. He looked back at Charlotte. “I’m fairly certain we won’t hear from Eliza. Crowe told me she was moving to New York with her new husband so it’s even more unlikely she would want to invest in a seaside hotel on the south coast of England.” He lifted his glass and drank the last of his water as he felt Charlotte watching him. 

“How do you feel about Tom going behind your back?  It’s a bit of shady thing to  do if you  don’t mind me saying. Sorry, erm I know he’s your brother, but I can’t imagine doing something like that to one of my siblings or them doing it to me.” Charlotte’s cheeks flushed as she spoke, she  hadn’t met Tom yet and she had already insulted him.

Sidney smiled at her before speaking. “I was angry when Crowe first told me, it was a good thing you were coming over that night. Now I have just accepted it as another thing that Tom has done,  there’s no talking to him, none of us can make him understand. Although  I’m not sure if Mary knows, she will take him to task over it, but with it being this close to Christmas and Eliza refusing to invest  I’m not going to talk to Mary about it. Having a meeting with Tom is just very tedious.” He squeezed her hand before pushing his chair back and standing. He took the dishes to the kitchen before turning to Charlotte and telling her he would take Mavis out for a quick walk. 

Hearing her name Mavis lifted her head, stood up and stretched, yawning as she did so. Sidney called her to him and they both disappeared out of the door leaving Charlotte sitting at the table sipping her wine. She  didn’t feel intimidated by Sidney mentioning his ex-wife. In fact, it had had the opposite effect, the way he spoke about her in such a matter-of-fact way and without emotion made it clear to Charlotte that he had no residual emotions left over for her. After hearing the  rustle of Sidney’s coat and the front door closing Charlotte decided to clear the table, stack the dishwasher, and leave the rest until the morning. She settled on the sofa with her book waiting for them to return.

Sidney was sat in the bed propped up against the pillows waiting for Charlotte to come out of the bathroom, he glanced nervously at the gift he had placed on the bedside table. It had felt like the right thing to buy at the time and now he was doubting himself, doubting if he should have bought anything at all. He heard the door click open and his breathing stopped as he saw Charlotte walk through the doorway wearing a deep pink satin camisole with  oblique flowers on the top, barely concealing her nipples and she had matching satin shorts on, which elongated her legs. He had not expected her to come out wearing something so beautiful, the other nights they had been together she had worn a t-shirt with cotton shorts or cotton trousers. His nerves about his gift left his mind completely as all his thoughts were filled of what he would like to do to and with Charlotte once she reached the bed. 

Sidney watched as Charlotte walked toward the window to check on Mavis, she crouched down to stroke the little dog who lifted her head and wagged her tail happily. Sidney saw Charlotte look over her shoulder at him coyly, he felt himself twitch when she licked her lower lip and sucked it into her mouth before turning back to Mavis. He watched as she settled Mavis down before she stood and walked towards him. 

As he pulled back the covers for her, he noticed her eyes flick to the small box wrapped in brown paper with red reindeers printed on it, and a large red bow on the top before returning to look at him. “It’s for you, I wanted to give it to you before you go home.” Charlotte leaned over to him and kissed him softly on the lips before quickly turning away to look at the gift.

“Shall I open it now?” Charlotte picked the box up without waiting for his answer, she held it in her one hand feeling it’s weight, before giving it a gentle shake. Charlotte had always been the same with gifts as soon as she saw them, she needed to open them. Her parents had stopped putting gifts under the tree because even as an adult they would find her sat next to the tree feeling each individual present torturing herself with trying to guess the contents. 

Sidney laughed at her, as he watched her inspect the gift for clues. “If you want to open it you can. I have a gift for Mavis too but that’s downstairs, although that’s not wrapped.” 

“Aw thank you. I have your gift in my bag, but I want you to open it on Christmas day if that’s OK?” Charlotte turned herself on the bed, so she was looking at him, her legs crossed in front of her. She leaned forward and kissed him again as he nodded to confirm that he would wait. “I on the other hand can’t wait. I’m going to open this now. Thank you.” She smiled at him again before lowering her eyes to the gift in her lap. She slowly slipped her finger under the sticky tape and pulled the paper open, to reveal the end of a red box. As she slipped the box out of the paper and saw Cartier inscribed on the top she gasped. 

She looked up at him with uncertainty in her eyes, as she went to speak, he leaned towards her and kissed her. As he pulled his lips away, he leaned his elbow on the bed next to her, he  didn’t want to go back to being so far away from her. He looked up at her and motioned for her to continue opening the gift before placing his hand on her knee. “Just open it, don’t worry about the name, just enjoy the gift.” Sidney  hadn’t found anything in the shop where he had picked up Mary’s gift, luckily, Babington knew the manager at the New Bond Street boutique. Two phone calls later and the manager was waiting for him to arrive, opening the door after closing time to let him in. He knew it  wasn’t the cost that made the gift, but he had been looking for something a little more special than what he had seen in the other store and from shopping with Babington, he thought he may find it in there. If Charlotte liked the gift, he would owe Babington a drink for getting him the last-minute appointment. 

Charlotte felt a little overwhelmed, to her Cartier  wasn’t something she thought she would ever be gifted. She slowly opened the box with shaking hands to reveal a necklace with two rings looped through each other in the center of the chain, both the rings had diamonds  encrusted in them. It was a beautiful necklace, she touched it gently with her finger, lifting it up to get a closer look. 

“Do you like it?” Sidney asked nervously. “It’s from their Love collection. It’s white gold, but it can be changed to yellow gold or Rose gold if you prefer, or we can go together, and you can pick out something else.” He knew he was rambling, but it was important to him that she liked it, it was the first proper gift he had bought her, he didn’t really count the socks, as well they were just socks. He had taken a gamble with a necklace as he hadn’t seen her wear one but her knew a bracelet wouldn’t be practical with her job and he didn’t want to buy a ring, as he knew the first ring, he wanted to buy her was an engagement ring. 

Charlotte looked  at Sidney amazed that he even asked her if she liked it, she loved it . She hadn’t expected him to get her anything and the fact that he had  taken the time while he had been busy in London meant a lot . “Sidney, this is beautiful, I love it but it’s too much . ” Charlotte looked at Sidney as she closed the box before  moving it  towards him.

“Charlotte,  I chose it for you because I saw it and thought of you . If you like it let me put it on you.” Sidney took the box from her and  carefully removed the necklace from its resting place . 

Charlotte turned her back to him as he sat up. She moved her hair to one side so he could  fasten the necklace for her. Once the  clasp was done Sidney dropped his head to place a kiss on her neck, just below her ear. He heard her moan quietly as she tilted her head further to the side, allowing him more access to her neck. He continued the soft  breathy kisses along her shoulder before returning to her ear, he leaned over her shoulder to place his lips against hers as she turned her head to kiss him. 

*********************************************

Charlotte leaned back against Sidney’s firm chest and felt his warmth  seep through her thin top. His hand snaked around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he stroked her nipple through the silky material covering it. Between his hot kisses and sensual caresses Charlotte could feel the heat building between her legs, she knew she was already wet for him, her desire for him was insatiable. Leaning her head further back against Sidney she felt him shift to the side. Opening her eyes, she saw him moving next to her to lay alongside her. She reached for him to make sure he stayed close, kissing his soft lips, and sucking his plump bottom lip into her mouth with a loud groan, she wondered if she would she ever get enough of this man. She needed him closer, as she entwined her fingers in his hair, she felt him lower her shorts, lifting her hips to help him she lost his lips. 

He pressed kisses down her throat and moving her necklace so he could kiss the dip between her collar bones. Moving slowly, he moved ever lower, pausing at her breasts where he pushed the fabric to the side and sucked her nipple into his mouth before lifting his mouth away and flicking his tongue over the swollen flesh. 

Still, he moved lower, Charlotte watched as he trailed his kisses towards her belly button, where he dipped his tongue in while lifting his eyes to look at her a small grin spreading across his lips. He  didn’t stop there; he kissed his way to her soft curls and nuzzled his nose into them as he gently parted her legs with his hands. Charlotte had never experienced oral sex and tensed at the pressure on her thighs, he stilled before returning to her mouth to press an urgent passion filled kiss against her lips. Without taking his lips away he whispered, “let me taste you, if you want me to stop I will.” Before kissing her again with the same rousing passion he had before. She whimpered and nodded against his lips. He lowered himself down her body, keeping his one hand in hers while his other hand slowly stroked her folds, gently pushing his finger through before following it with his mouth. He licked and sucked her softly allowing her to adjust to the sensation, but as her free hand found his hair and tugged it, he increased the pressure and slipped his tongue inside her, finally fully tasting her. He groaned in pleasure as Charlotte lifted her hips to help him, gripping his hair and his hand as the ripples of an orgasm began to build. The ripples start to increase, following the first faster and faster causing her to buck slightly under his attention until she pushed her head further into the bed, letting out moan followed by “Fuck, shit, don’t stop” as Sidney had lifted his head to see her face, at her instruction he lowered his head to continue licking and sucking. He slipped his finger inside her as he sucked her sensitive  nub , feeling her walls clamping he increased the pressure of his lips as she came around his fingers, breathlessly moaning his name. 

He moved quickly to get a condom from the drawer, shedding his boxers and slipping the condom on, he settled himself between her thighs, leaning over her body with one hand by her shoulder he slowly pushed himself inside her. Charlotte wrapped her hand around his wrist and gripped his bum with her other hand, he stilled as his hips reached hers. They stared at each other both enjoying the closeness before the urge to move overtook them both.

Charlotte dug her nails into the  firm flesh of  Sidney’s bum and lifted her hips, she needed him to move, she needed him closer. She pulled his wrist and he lower himself to her, kissing her lips, dipping his tongue as their hips moved in synchronisation . Together they built up the rhythm  with faster and harder thrusts  while keeping their mouths just inches apart, occasionally closing the gap with a flick of a tongue or their wet swollen lips touching  whenever they could as the heat built between them. 

Charlotte called out his name first, breathing heavily and shuddering under the force of her third orgasm, Sidney changed the angle of his hips a little but continued the fast, deep thrusts into her. Another orgasm started to build in Charlotte as Sidney buried himself as deeply as he could before his own orgasm tore through his body spreading heat and love with it. He continued his movements until he felt Charlotte’s body grip his. He lost the strength in his arms and covered her body with his completely while Charlotte breathlessly placed kisses over his face and neck before dropping her head back against the bed with a heavy sigh. 

****************************************

Sidney managed to lift himself enough to move to Charlotte’s side, he pulled her with him and placed her leg over his. They lay like this for a while both catching their breath, enjoying the vibrations that were still passing through their bodies. 

Sidney could tell Charlotte had gone to sleep, her limbs which were strewn across him and her breathing were heavier. He slowly moved her arm and leg before slipping out of bed to dispose of the condom. 

As he padded back to bed, he saw Mavis looking at him, he had forgotten she was there, now as he walked naked across the room felt a little embarrassed and slightly judged by the small dog. As he turned the light  off, he could still feel her eyes on  him, so he walked to her and bent down to stroke her. He was repaid by a  wag of the tail. “Ah you just wanted a little attention too huh?” Mavis wagged her tail more before dropping her head back on top of her paws. 

Sidney lifted the bed cover from the floor, after taking one last look at Charlotte’s perfect form he covered her with the quilt. He climbed in next to her and pulled her gently to him, before falling asleep himself. 

As neither of them were working they hadn’t set an alarm. Charlotte woke up first and felt Sidney’s weight on top of her. She was laying half on her side and half on her stomach with Sidney’s chest against her back with his leg draped over her. Although Sidney was crushing her slightly, she liked the feeling of him surrounding her, she didn’t want to move but she needed the bathroom. She tried to slowly creep out from under him but as she was almost free his arm pulled her back to him. With a laugh she surrendered to his hug, turning her face to him she was greeted by one of his half smiles, his bright eyes were full of love, well she thought it might have been love, but he had yet to say the words. She kissed him before pulling away, picking up her shorts she disappeared into the  ensuite . 

When she came into the  room, she found Sidney sat in the chair by the window with Mavis on his lap, she sat down next to them on the floor and stroked the dog. 

“What time do you need to leave?”  Sidney asked as their eyes met. 

“Soon. I have to make more stops because of Mavis, and I’d like to get there before it’s dark.” Charlotte felt a knot in her stomach, she wanted to see her family but now she had met Sidney she didn’t want to leave him, not even for a day. She dropped her eyes and concentrated on Mavis. They had moved their relationship forward so quickly that it seemed alien to be separated from him. He was part of her and without him she felt she would be at a loss. “I know we’ll both be busy with  family, but I’d like to call you Christmas day, would you mind?” She lifted her eyes to look at his face, he was already looking at her, he placed his finger under her chin and pulled her closer to him as he leant towards her. 

“I would like nothing more, other for you to be here with me.” He kissed her slowly, pressing his lips against hers softly he wished she  was staying, or he was going with her, but it was too short notice for their families to change their plans. “Shall we just say, ring whenever we want? I might have the urge to ring you later, or tomorrow. I may not be able to wait until Christmas day to hear your voice.” Charlotte nodded as they fell into a comfortable silence, both lost in their thoughts about the days ahead . 

They loaded Charlotte’s bag into her car in silence while Mavis ran around the front yard. It was much later than Charlotte had planned to leave but they had spent the morning in bed, talking and tenderly making love and she  hadn’t wanted to leave. Sidney had insisted on cooking her a full cooked breakfast for her lunch even though  she’d said a sandwich would do. As he cooked her stomach growled and she had been grateful for his insistence. All her activities with Sidney the last few days had left her feeling particularly hungry, she  couldn’t seem to satisfy her hunger.  He’d provided her with a snack bag for the journey of cut carrot sticks, apples, bananas, yoghurt covered raisins, crisps and a four pack of Cadbury Twirls along with a travel mug of coffee and two bottles of water, one for her and one for Mavis.

Sidney pulled Charlotte into his arms and kissed her, her hands skimmed up his arms and her fingers massaged the back of his neck. He pulled away to look at her face. He knew he was going to miss her, but he  hadn’t realised how hard it was going to be to let her go. They stood for a few minutes just holding on to each other, enjoying each other's warmth and  memorising the feel of the others body against their own. 

In that moment Sidney decided when Charlotte was back in  Sanditon he wanted her to move in with him. For him it  didn’t make any sense for her to live anywhere except with him. Both Charlotte and Mavis were what made his house a home, they were the missing piece that he had spent hours in furniture stores looking for. He  wouldn’t ask her until she was back in  Sanditon as he would want to celebrate with her, take her in each room and make love to her, cleansing the house of its bachelor pad status and making it their home. He had the rest of the day free so he decided he would make space in the wardrobe and cupboards for her clothes, they could work out the other rooms once she moved in. Sidney was sure she would say yes, he could feel her small hands clinging to him in the same way his large hands were holding her tightly against him. 

Eventually Charlotte pulled back, she kissed his lips quickly before calling Mavis to her and so she could be lifted into the passenger seat. Charlotte walked around to the other side of the car and opened the door. She paused before sitting down and looked at Sidney over the roof of the car blowing him a kiss. “Bye.” She got in the car quickly and started the engine. 

Once she had turned the car  around, she stopped to wave at Sidney, he walked over to the car as she wound down the window. Without words he bent down, and kissed her through the open window, neither quite ready to say goodbye.

“I’ll miss you. Drive carefully.” He stood up and turned to walk to the house. 

Charlotte drove down the long drive to the lane wiping tears from her face, with Driving Home for Christmas on the radio. Charlotte thought how ironic that it was playing since she felt she was driving away from her home at that very moment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This link is for Anne Summers, for those of you who have not heard of Anne Summers they do very beautiful lingerie and pyjama's but they also do more risque items as well as adult toys. This link is for Charlotte's pj's, I just wanted to warn you that they have a list of suggested items that pop up at the side, so just be aware if opening the link around young children. The items are only thumbnail sizes (I think). 
> 
> https://www.annsummersstore.co.uk/product/the-cherished-cami-set-burgundy 
> 
> This wasn't the original gift I had picked out for Charlotte, it had been chosen a while ago, but when it came to writing the gift scene I just couldn't write it. The original gift just didn't feel right. The rest of the chapter was written and I was at a stop. A glass of wine, a movie chat on twitter (thanks DiscoDarling for keeping me company) and a spot of fantasy shopping later, I found the gift and the writing continued.  
> So here's the gift Sidney bought Charlotte:
> 
> https://www.cartier.com/en-gb/love-necklace-diamonds_cod25372685655706615.html#dept=EU_Love


	16. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte is back in Willingden to spend Christmas with the Heywood family, while Sidney is staying at Trafalgar house with Tom and Mary for his festive celebrations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It felt a bit strange writing about Christmas this week especially as its Valentines day today, not too many Christmas details just a few presents are mentioned. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for the incredibly kind comments you all made on the last chapter, I have to say quite a few of them brought tears to my eyes and left me speechless. You guys are the best ❤️
> 
> Wishing everyone a happy day/evening/night/morning wherever you are and whatever you're doing x

Tuesday 24th December 

Charlotte pulled up on the large farmyard of her parents' house, much later than she had planned. She and Mavis had had to stop a few more times than expected, between the traffic and both their urges for the toilet the drive had taken almost two hours more than usual. It was dark now and her father had hung the usual icicle lights around the house and the windows were lit up with fairy lights. Charlotte was glad to be finally home, she pulled out her mobile to let Sidney know she was there. 

Charlotte – Hi, I have arrived. It felt like the longest journey, thanks for keeping me company on my pit stops xxx 

A reply came back instantly. 

Sidney – Any time. I’ve just put your gift under the tree, we’re all excited to see what it is xx 

Charlotte - NO PEEKING! xxx 

Charlotte – P.S. Thank you again for my beautiful gift xx 

Sidney- You're welcome, it looks good on you. Ha I won’t peek. I can’t get near the tree, the children are on guard xxx 

The front door had been flung open and she could see her father walking towards the car. Charlotte put her phone in her bag and lifted Mavis off the passenger seat so they could both get out of the car to hug her father. For the next few hours Charlotte had only been able to sneak a few looks at her phone and each time she had managed it she was rewarded with a text from Sidney. She would reply quickly before returning her attention back to the game of Scrabble that she was playing with her mum and sister. 

Sidney was sat on the sofa with his youngest nephew on his lap, he put his phone down and bounced the small boy up and down distracting himself from pressing the call button. 

Forty-five minutes later Sidney and Mary left Trafalgar House to go to Babington's party. Tom hadn’t been pleased that Mary was leaving him alone on Christmas Eve, but Mary had jumped at the opportunity to go to the party when Sidney had mentioned it as they were eating dessert. She had practically leapt from the table so she could start getting ready to go. 

As Beryl Denham would be attending the dress code was always black tie, Sidney had brought his tux back with him when he had returned from London and Mary always had something suitable to wear due to hosting events in the hotel. For the next two hours Sidney was distracted by his friends and the other guests, although once or twice Mary had had to nudge him as he’d been checking his phone while someone was speaking to him. 

Finally, they were able to leave, shutting the car door on a drunk Mary he ran around to get in the driver's side, he switched on the engine and pulled away quickly causing gravel to go flying. Mary was giggling in the passenger seat after drinking one too many glasses of Champagne. The radio was playing in the background as Mary chatted and she reached up to turn the volume up, telling him she loved this song, he turned his head to look at her and smiled as she sang along to the words. Taking Mary with him had been a great idea, a lot of Babington’s friends had really taken to her, listening to her talk about the hotel and the events they held, a few had even bought the last remaining tickets for the New Year's Ball, making it a sellout event. As Mary continued singing Sidney thought about how she wasn’t being utilised properly at the hotel, sitting in the office with Tom doing the accounts. They still had the event planner position to fill, and he felt Mary would be perfect for the role. He would talk to her about it after Christmas. 

Just before they arrived at Trafalgar House Sidney’s phone rang showing Charlotte's name on the dashboard display. He grinned, glad that he was back in time to speak to her properly and in private. He answered the call and said he was in the car with Mary, who said a quick hello, he then told Charlotte he would call her back in a few minutes once he was inside. 

Mary had watched Sidney’s face light up as he saw Charlotte’s name flash up on the screen, she hadn’t ever seen him look this happy except when he played with the children. She was pleased for him and looked forward to seeing him and Charlotte together. From her brief meetings with Charlotte, she could tell that she was a lovely woman who was kind, caring and genuinely interested in Sidney for himself rather than his money and what he could do for her. Sidney was usually very particular about how he parked his car in the courtyard outside Trafalgar House but tonight he driven through the gates, stopped the car and switched off the engine, getting out quicker than Mary was ready for as she was used to him reversing and maneuvering the car until it was exactly where he wanted it. She sat in the seat laughing, until he opened her door. 

“What’s so funny?” Sidney asked chuckling at a very drunk Mary. 

Clambering out of the low seat Mary stood looking at him as he held the door open for her. 

“Nothing Sidney, I’m just really pleased for you. You need to tell the other’s that you have a significant other, they’ll be pleased for you too.” She gave him a brief hug and thanked him for taking her as his plus one before entering the house leaving the door open for him. 

Sidney popped his head into the lounge to see Mary curled up against Tom as they chatted quietly in front of the TV. Tom had put the rest of the children's presents out, which Sidney knew Mary was dreading doing when she got home, and Tom had made the room look even more full of Christmas cheer with extra fairy lights and small pots of sweets and chocolates placed here and there around the room. Just as he was about to make himself known to them Mary lifted her face to Tom and kissed him. Sidney was pleased that although he found Tom difficult to deal with Mary loved him, far more than he probably realised or deserved. He smiled as he backed away from the doorframe and ran softly up the stairs to call Charlotte. 

Wednesday – It's Christmas! 

Sidney glanced at the clock, it was only 9am and he was exhausted. He knew he only had himself to blame but he hadn’t wanted to end the call with Charlotte. They had spoken for almost 3 hours and it was just after 2:30am when they had said good night. The time had just disappeared, he couldn’t even remember what they had talked about, but he knew he had enjoyed talking with her. 

What he hadn’t expected was being woken at 5:30am by Henry, Jenny and Alicia. They had snuck into his room and surrounded him on the bed before Henry had shaken him awake. They had told him Tom and Mary had warned them they weren’t to wake their parents before 7am so they had decided they would wake him instead so he could keep them entertained before they could all go downstairs to open the rest of their presents. Bleary eyed Sidney had watched them open their stockings one by one and had marvelled at the little treasures they had discovered all while thinking how much he needed either more sleep or a very strong coffee. 

Now at 9am all the children’s gifts had been opened and only the adult’s remained. Tom and Mary exchanged gifts and Sidney was pleased to see that Mary was extremely happy with Tom’s choice of present, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. Tom had looked at Sidney over Mary’s shoulder and had mouthed “I’ll have the cash tomorrow.” Sidney was certain he would never see that money again, it always seemed to happen that Tom never had cash when it came to paying money back and he refused to do internet banking so Sidney had no choice but wait until Tom saw fit to pay for his own wife’s present or whether Sidney would have to write off the £500, he’d paid for it. 

Finally, it was time to open his gift from Charlotte. It was a large package, quite soft with a firm centre. He tore off the paper to find a Dryrobe, he smiled to himself. Charlotte had remembered that he enjoyed swimming in the sea all year round but hated trying to change on the beach. A Dryrobe was perfect and meant he would no longer freeze on the days he tried running to the house without changing first. 

He lifted it up to show everyone and a book fell out. It was a book on astronomy, although he had a telescope, he had admitted to Charlotte that he didn’t really know what he was looking at and the telescope had been collecting dust in the spare bedroom for a long time before their date. He opened the cover to see a handwritten message on the blank page. 

“For all our future star gazing adventures. I can’t wait to continue our adventure xxx.” 

Such a short simple note yet it meant a lot to Sidney, it meant Charlotte was looking to the future too. He ran his finger across the words she had written, smiling to himself lost in thoughts about their evening in the hammock, before finally looking up at his family to show them the book. 

Charlotte woke to her phone ringing. She stretched lazily before snatching her phone off the bedside table. 

“Hello.” Her voice was a bit croaky, and she was aware she sounded like she was still half asleep. She must have been in a deep sleep as she still felt exhausted. Even reaching for the phone had felt like a huge effort as her arm was heavy. 

“Hey, sorry did I wake you?” 

“Yeah, but don’t worry I need to get up. What time is it?” There were no clocks in her old bedroom, Alison had hated the loud ticking of the clock they had once had, and their mum had never put it back even after both had moved out. Charlotte glanced over at Alison’s bed suddenly remembering she may be in the room, but the bed was empty. “Merry Christmas Sidney.” Charlotte lifted her hand to grasp the necklace around her neck. She still couldn’t quite believe she was wearing Cartier and that he had bought it for her. 

Alison had spotted it when Charlotte had put her pyjamas on before joining the whole family around the kitchen table to drink hot chocolates with marshmallows just like they did every Christmas eve since she could remember. When Charlotte had told them, it had been a gift and that it was Cartier she had faced a barrage of questions from everyone except Alison who had been busy on her phone. Charlotte had told them about Sidney, how they had met and how much she liked him. Her father had told her he was pleased she was happy, that it was a lovely gift but to remember money doesn’t buy love or happiness and that there was always a room for her in their house if she needed it. Charlotte had felt a bit subdued by her father’s reaction but before she could dwell on that feeling Alison had shrieked loudly and looked up from her phone as all eyes turned to her. Alison had held her phone so they could see the screen and asked Charlotte if she realised how much the necklace had cost. Charlotte had told Alison that she didn’t know and neither did she want to, it was Sidney’s choice, and it didn’t matter if it had cost £20 or £500, she loved her gift. Charlotte had of course been outnumbered by her brothers and her mum asking Alison to tell them the cost. Charlotte had blushed as Alison had called out the price, shocked that Sidney had spent so much considering the short amount of time they had been together. Her father had raised his eyebrows before leaving the table to disappear into the TV room. Charlotte gave Alison a look to tell her she wasn’t impressed that she had looked it up but the chat around the table had already moved on. 

“Merry Christmas Charlotte, I was just ringing to say thank you for my gifts, both are perfect.” 

“You’re welcome, sorry it’s not much.” Charlotte grimaced as she said it, she had spent a long time trying to choose a gift for him, and still felt she had come up short considering what he had bought her. 

“It’s more than enough. I was thinking perhaps we should set up the telescope in our bedroom rather than leave it in the spare room or drag it out to the garden. Although I still want to do that sometimes too.” Sidney’s deep voice washed over her as he spoke, it really was the most seductive sound even through a phone. “I’m going to test out the Dryrobe tomorrow at the boxing day swim. Tom and I always do it together.” 

“You’re crazy, it’ll be freezing.” She laughed at him while he protested how good it was for the body as well as the soul. They chatted for a few more minutes until Charlotte heard footsteps outside the bedroom door. Feeling like a teenager again she told him she had to go because someone was coming. She hung up just as Alison came in the room making kissing noises. 

Laughing Charlotte threw her pillow at Alison and told her to stop acting like a child even though she was hiding under the quilt to cover her blushes. Charlotte could hear Alison moving around the room so took the quilt away to watch what she was doing. Alison was rummaging through the chest of drawers on the far side of the room. 

“What are you looking for?” Charlotte asked as the curiosity got the better of her, Alison had gone through every drawer and had moved to the bedside table next to Charlotte. 

Alison looked up from the floor, “I just got my period and stupidly didn’t bring anything with me, I thought I’d left some here last time I visited.” 

“Oh, grab some from my bag, I’ve brought plenty as mine is due too. There should be enough to share until I leave on Friday.” Charlotte pointed to her bag at the bottom of the bed at the same time Alison moved over. 

“By the way, you’d better get dressed. Dad is eager to open the presents.” Alison looked over her shoulder at Charlotte as she spoke. 

Charlotte huffed as she threw the cover back and stalked into the bathroom, laughing to herself how much she had reverted to being a teenager after only a few hours in her parent’s house. 

Sidney had enjoyed his day with his siblings and their children. Arthur had arrived at eleven which had given Sidney a much-needed break. He had managed a shower and a quick call to Charlotte. Then Diana, Steve and their young children had arrived at one, just in time for the traditional Christmas meal. There was a lot to be celebrated that Christmas, Arthur announced he had found premises for his second butcher’s shop in the next town and Diana hinted that she and Steve had decided to return to Sanditon to live. They had been living in London for the last ten years but since Jackson was born eighteen months ago Diana had expressed more than once that she wanted to move out of their London house and back to where she had grown up to give the children a similar upbringing that she had had. Steve’s business was entirely online apart from the odd meeting and Diana was busy being a mum until all three children were in school, then she would decide what she wanted to do. 

Once the congratulations had died down Mary had coughed loudly and looked at Sidney pointedly. He pretended not to take any notice and busied himself with baby James, until he felt a sharp kick in his shin from across the table. He looked at Mary and shook his head, he didn’t want to announce it today, he wanted Charlotte here with him when he told everyone so they could meet her themselves, but Mary wouldn’t stop so eventually he had given in and told them about his relationship with Charlotte. Everyone broke into cheers again, asking many questions except for Tom who sat at the head of the table silently staring at Sidney. 

As the children started to drift up the stairs, Diana and her family left to go to the hotel. Sidney sat for an hour with Tom splitting his time between listening to Tom talking about the hotel and investors and the other half sending sweet nothings to Charlotte, who was sending them back to him. 

Mary came down the stairs to find Sidney in the kitchen tidying up, she sighed and joined in to clear the surfaces. 

“Sidney you shouldn’t be doing this, Tom should be in here clearing up. Is he snoring in front of the television again?” She asked placing the last plate in the dishwasher before switching the kettle on. 

“It’s fine Mary, I’m happy to help and yes he’s asleep. I think the large glass of whiskey I gave him may have contributed to the snoring. Sorry but he was rambling on about work and I needed to stop him. It’s Christmas after all.” Sidney gave Mary a half smile as he continued washing the large pan in the sink, elbow deep in bubbles. 

“I don’t blame you; I may have been guilty of doing similar things this last month to stop him too.” As Mary spoke, she was getting cups and saucers out of the cupboard and preparing the tea pot. She rested her hands on the tea pot and took a deep breath in. Slowly she let it out and spoke quietly. “I know it’s Christmas Sidney, but you need to know Tom has been in touch with Eliza. I heard him on the phone this morning. I gave him a right telling off, but he was adamant that you knew about him speaking to her and had given your blessing.” Looking behind her shoulder to check if Tom had appeared at the door, woken up from the slam of the pan in the sink. 

“Sorry Mary.” Sidney followed her gaze and was pleased to see he hadn’t disturbed anyone. “I knew he had been in touch with her but no I hadn’t given him my blessing. For fuck's sake, will he ever stop?” Sidney looked forward trying to control his temper. 

Mary carried on making the tea as Sidney continued to wash the already clean pan. “I don’t know, that’s why I wanted you to tell him about Charlotte. He has some stupid idea in his head that if he can get you and Eliza in the same room, you’ll both fall madly in love with each other again. I obviously told him he was deluded but there was no dissuading him.” 

“Doesn’t he know we were never madly in love?” Sidney sighed again, and saw Mary pouring out generous measures of brandy into glasses next to the tea pot. “Even if I wasn’t in love with Charlotte, Crowe told me Eliza is married.” He saw Mary’s hand pause slightly in her pouring before glancing at him briefly. 

“Have you told her? Does she know?” 

“No to both, well I’m not sure to the second one, I hope she can tell. I’m like a fucking teenager with her Mary, it’s embarrassing. I can’t stop touching her or kissing her, I can’t control my body. I think I’ve text her at least a hundred times today. I’ve only known her two and a half weeks, how has this happened so quickly?” Sidney chuckled embarrassed by his outburst, although Mary was like his sister, he wasn’t usually quite so candid with her, or with anyone about his feelings, especially about relationships. 

Mary placed her hand on his forearm and looked at his face intensely. “Sidney, please tell her. Tell her as soon as you can and as often as you can. Don’t wait. Time doesn’t matter when the heart has found what it wants, who it needs.” Mary moved away and carried the tea tray through to the conservatory. 

While finishing the washing up Sidney considered Mary’s words, she was right, now he had accepted how he felt he needed to tell Charlotte, he understood now that it didn’t matter that it was so soon, she had infiltrated his mind, his heart as well as his soul and that is where he hoped her to stay forever more. For him this was something special, he wanted to tell her and everyone he knew that he loved her. He acknowledged how much it terrified him, but he realised it was because he wanted to get it right when he made his declaration, use the right words and not leave her in any doubt about how he felt and what his intentions were about the future. 

Sidney joined Mary in the conservatory to share the pot of tea, they sat discussing what they thought they could do to make Tom believe that there was no way back for Sidney and Eliza and that Eliza investing in the business wasn’t a good idea. He also mentioned his idea of Mary becoming the event planner at the hotel, he saw the excitement in her eyes at the proposal before saying she didn’t think Tom would approve as her hours would be longer and she wouldn’t be home as much leaving him to do the bulk of the childcare. Sidney suggested a nanny might be the solution and offered to help convince Tom if Mary was interested in the position. They ended the conversation with Mary agreeing to think about it. 

Checking his phone again Sidney saw he had a text from Charlotte asking him to phone her. He excused himself from Mary and went outside to the garden. Mary and Tom’s garden was more sheltered than his own with a wall surrounding it and a small wooden gazebo at the bottom. He sat gazing at the stars as he listened to the phone ringing, just before it went to answer phone, he heard her voice softly say hello. 

Thursday – Boxing Day 

Boxing day was a quiet relaxed affair, so Charlotte found herself laying on the sofa watching various Christmas films and eating too many chocolates. She spent the day sending and receiving texts from Sidney who seemed to be having a far busier day between his swim and playing with his nieces and nephews. As another text pinged, she saw her dad raise his eyebrows while looking in her direction, she smiled at him and put her phone on silent so he wouldn’t know how many texts she was receiving. She really did feel like a schoolgirl laying on the sofa in her boyfriend's hoody, her yoga pants and fluffy unicorn slippers that her brothers had bought her while her dad chastised her for making too much noise. 

Even though she hadn’t done much Charlotte was glad to finally go to bed, she was exhausted. Alison was still downstairs so Charlotte text Sidney to say good night, she was looking forward to getting back to Sanditon, to her own cottage and to Sidney. It had been great seeing her parents but after initially enjoying being mothered she was starting to feel the strain and was looking forward to her own space and to feeling like an adult again. Her phone rang and she answered it, whispering quietly so her dad who was in the next room wouldn’t hear her. 

“Hello” 

“Hi, I just wanted to hear your voice before you went to sleep.” 

“It’s nice to hear your voice too, texts are great but it’s not the same is it?” 

“Not at all. What time do you think you’ll be home? I wondered if I could bring a take away over and we could watch a film or you can come to mine, you can have a soak in the tub while I cook?” 

“Oooh, both sound great, and as much as I adore your bath, I think I need to be at my house tomorrow, I need to unpack, put some washing on and I have work on Saturday morning. Can you bring some chip shop chips with you for say 7pm? I’m hoping to get back around 6.” 

“Of course.” 

“Great, right now though, I need to go to sleep, sorry.” 

“Get some sleep, you’ve got a long drive tomorrow. Good night.” 

“Night Sidney. I’m really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.” 

“Me too. Sleep well.” 

Friday. 

Charlotte woke up and stretched, suddenly realising how hungry she was as her stomach gurgled. She could smell bacon wafting through the open door, her mum must be cooking the usual breakfast rolls, it was the tradition for leaving day, Charlotte, Alison, Matt and Stuart were all leaving today. They always all left together so it was one big goodbye rather than lots of little ones, they had started one Christmas when they all had moved out for various reasons. They would drive along the dirt track to the main road all honking their horns with their arms waving out of the windows in their respective cars. 

Checking the time, it was much later than she had expected no wonder she was hungry. Charlotte walked into the kitchen to see her mother at the stove and both her brothers at the table. Her mum told her that Alison was in the shower, her dad had gone for a walk so she could have his breakfast roll as he wasn’t back yet. 

Entering the bedroom Charlotte saw Alison rummaging through her bag, “What you are looking for?” Charlotte asked as she climbed under the covers on her old single bed. 

“Ah, these.” She held up the box of tampons in triumph, “Sorry I’ve used all the pads. Do you mind if I grab a few of these for my way home? I’m having the period from hell.” 

Charlotte suddenly felt sick, she quickly counted the dates in her head, she was now 2 days late and the only sign she had that she was due her period was that her breasts were sore, not that that was a usual symptom for herself. She felt panic start to build in the back of her mind, she grabbed her phone and searched what the signs of pregnancy were except for a missed period. As her eyes scanned the results, she felt her breathing stop, the panic she felt starting to make her feel nauseous. Dropping her phone on the bed she ran to the bathroom across the hall and dry wretched over the toilet. Holding her hair back she leaned her elbow on the seat staring at the water at the bottom of the toilet, she felt a hand start to rub her back and closed her eyes. Letting the rhythm wash over her as she tried to calm her breathing and the thoughts that were rushing through her mind far too quickly to make any sense. Of course, she knew when it had happened, she had taken the pill exactly as directed but it had felt like it had gotten stuck in her throat. She remembered gulping more and more water trying to get it to dislodge and finally as she had drunk the last of the bottled water it felt like it had gone. 

“Have you done a test?” Alison whispered as she continued to rub Charlotte’s back in circles. 

All Charlotte could do was shake her head in response as she was afraid to open her mouth in case she started heaving again. She had two main thoughts in her head, the first which was the loudest was how would Sidney react and the second was would she cope being a mum. She felt the tears build behind her eyelids as she lowered her bum to rest on her heels. Charlotte looked at Alison and felt the tears start to roll down her cheeks. 

“I think you need to get a test before jumping to conclusions, a late period doesn’t always mean a pregnancy. Do you want me to come with you? We can go now and do it here before we all leave later.” 

Charlotte opened her eyes and looked at her sister gratefully, nodding her head as she stood and turned the shower on. Alison left the room and Charlotte stood under the water crying as she cupped her stomach which was still flat but could be holding something very precious. 

Two hours later Charlotte was sat on the side of the bath waiting for the thin stick on the counter to reveal a result that would determine her future, one way or another. Alison was sat next to her holding her hand tightly, they hadn’t talked about what Charlotte would do if the test showed a positive result. In fact, they hadn’t talked at all about what they were doing, they had told their mother they were going to buy sanitary products and more chocolate, to which their mother had just chuckled and told them lunch would be ready by one o’clock. Alison had driven while Charlotte had stared out the window silently playing with the drawstring from the hood on Sidney’s hoody. It still smelled of him and although she was terrified of telling him the outcome if it was positive, she really wished he was here with her waiting to see the result whatever it may be. 

Alison squeezed her hand “The 3 minutes are up. Do you want me to look?” 

“Yes. No. No, I’ll look.” Charlotte stood and took a deep breath as she looked down at the small digital screen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Dryrobe. There are other brands available that do the same job, I just chose this one as it seems the most popular by swimmers, paddle boarders etc in my area, plus it has the best name to hint what it does if you're not really sure what it is
> 
> https://dryrobe.com/products/dryrobe-advance-long-sleeve-large-black-red


	17. Monday 30th December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte and Sidney are reunited after their Christmas apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you to each one of you for taking the time to read, comment and chat here, on twitter and in the facebook book club. You guys really are the best! ❤❤
> 
> It's been half term here in the UK and Mr Beep was home for the week. So with no home school work to do he took over entertaining the children leaving me to have unexpected days of writing ❤. 
> 
> I did want to post this chapter earlier and did expect to have it up by Thursday, but the sun came out and then I started over thinking it. 3 rewrites later here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it........

Charlotte was sat amongst the grass in her  favourite field on her parent’s farm. It was on a small hill and due to its elevated position, it gave views across the countryside. It was cold but wrapped in her thick coat, gloves, scarf and hat Charlotte felt much warmer than she should. As she sat watching Mavis run through the long grass, she saw her father walking up the hill towards her. She was so glad she had decided to stay longer without her siblings, she had managed to spend some quality time with just her dad. Her mum had been busy with household tasks and visiting the  neighbours while her father had sat at the table and challenged her to a game of Scrabble. They had sat for a few hours putting the world to rights, they discussed everything from Cadbury versus Galaxy chocolate to the current political issues within Britain and how it could affect Charlotte’s business. Her father was always a man of few words when the whole family were together, he preferred to sit back and watch only speaking when he had something worthwhile to say. Unlike their father Charlotte’s siblings were constantly talking, laughing and joking, the house had almost sighed in relief once the others had left, and the silence descended around them as they had sat in the room reading. 

Charlotte had sent a text to Sidney on Friday afternoon to let him know she was staying at her parent’s house until Monday, telling him she had missed them more than she had thought and wished to spend some time alone with them. He had replied saying he understood and that he would see her when she got back. He had been  really kind and offered to check on the Retreat and her cottage, which she had agreed to only if he had the time to do it. She had a few plants that would need watering due to staying here longer and she would prefer Sidney to do it than Mrs. Barnes.

Pulling a long piece of grass out of the ground she played with it as she waited for her father to join her, he was playing with Mavis at the bottom the hill. She looked out across the countryside and thought how different it was here compared to  Sanditon and whether she was really prepared to move back if she needed to. The sound and smell of the recently milked cows filling the air around her, she knew that she could and would return here permanently even though she would miss the sea, her cottage and most of all Sidney. 

“Alright my love?” Her father stood in front of her, looking down on her before sitting next to her on the slightly damp grass. “What are you doing up here then?”

“Just thinking Dad.” She continued to play with the grass, twisting it between her fingers over and over. 

“Oh, that sounds serious. Have you packed everything? You said you wanted to leave at midday, it’s already ten.” 

Charlotte looked at her father and smiled. “Yeah, I’m packed. Not sure I’m ready to go  though .” She whispered as she looked back at the view, avoiding her father’s questioning eyes . 

“I see. That’s not like you. Out of all you children, you have always been the most eager to leave, the boys never seem to want to leave and well Alison only leaves when we forcibly push her into the car. Although even that has changed  now she’s met Ben. I thought you’d be even more eager to leave now you have Sidney to get back to. You two have certainly been sending enough texts to sink a battleship.” Her father chuckled as he saw her blush, even at 29 he could still embarrass his  favourite daughter. He had always treated his children equally and encouraged them to follow their dreams, as much as he had wanted them to stay on the farm, he knew they needed to stretch their wings otherwise they would never return. He knew he was fortunate that three out of four had settled close by. The two boys were in local colleges and both eager to return to the farm once their courses had been completed. Although Alison had left before Charlotte, she was much harder to get to leave once she was back, always bringing a huge bag of washing for her mother to do and often taking a large box of food supplies when she left. Whereas Charlotte, his Charlotte arrived quietly, snuck into their usual routine and left quietly while leaving a large hole in their daily lives. He loved all his children but for some reason Charlotte was the one he was that little bit closer to, the one he talked with more, the one he spent the most time with when she was at the farm. He knew this time that Charlotte would leave and not come back, as much as that saddened him, he was pleased that she had moved on from that idiot she had met in Brighton. As her father, he still wanted to meet this Sidney but if he was as attentive in real life as he seemed to be via text and phone calls, he felt certain his daughter was in safe hands. “So, what’s bothering you?”

“Just worried about the Retreat. It wasn’t the best business decision to cancel two days of clients. What if it fails? What if I fail?” Charlotte wiped a tear from her cheek with her  woolen glove. Her father put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. 

“Two days won’t matter, you said it was only five clients in total. Your business won’t fail, and I know for certain you won’t fail. Why would you worry about that?” He asked as he kissed her head, it had been a long time since he could soothe any of his  children's worries with a simple kiss on the head, but old habits die hard in the Heywood household. 

“I just don’t want to let you and mum down. I know how much you sacrificed to help me start the Retreat.” Charlotte leaned closer to her dad enjoying the comfort he was giving her. 

“Charlotte, my girl, you won’t ever let us down. We are so proud you, no matter what happens with the Retreat we’ll always be proud of you. We love you, and always will.” Charlotte was openly crying now, her father never said anything sentimental so to hear him say these things meant a lot to her especially as she was so worried about the future. 

Stepping out of the water Sidney slipped his  Dryrobe on as he looked back at the waves and allowed his thoughts to return to Charlotte. They had continued to text just as much as when she had first gone to  Willingden but the phone calls had reduced greatly. He was starting to get concerned that the time away had given her time to think about their relationship. He knew he had unloaded a lot of his history on her in a short space of time, but it hadn’t seemed to have bothered her too much. He tried to think positively, she had agreed for him to check on her home and business and to see him later this evening. 

Sidney had a few hours until Charlotte arrived and although he wasn’t supposed to be working, he had agreed to an informal meeting with Tom at Trafalgar House. Sidney wanted to talk to Tom alone to try to make him understand that Eliza was never going to feature in his life again. He needed to get Eliza’s number, he had deleted it when the divorce had been  finalised , hoping to never need it again. He could feel his muscles tensing already and blew out a frustrated breath, his swim was supposed to soothe his body but as always Tom infiltrated his sense of calm. 

Checking his phone for messages and seeing none, he looked at the time. He still had half an hour before he needed to be at Tom’s, he stripped off the  Dryrobe and strode into the waves again. The water felt colder this time, but he pushed forward, he needed to clear his mind from the thoughts that Charlotte was coming back to end their relationship, if he were truthful, he didn’t really care about Tom and his foolish scheme. All he cared about was seeing Charlotte and holding her close. 

Walking into Tom’s study Sidney looked around, Tom was nowhere to be seen. Dropping his bag down he followed the sound of an unfamiliar male voice to the conservatory. As he got closer, he heard Tom’s voice saying how it wouldn’t be much longer before he would arrive. Sidney stopped just as he was about turn the corner when he heard a very familiar female voice, one that he wasn’t prepared to listen to today. He could feel his anger at Tom rising rapidly, he needed to leave before he was seen or heard. He turned quickly and saw Mary coming into the hallway, he raised his finger to his lips to signal her to stay quiet, but Jenny ran in behind her calling out to him. 

  
Sidney bent down and scooped her up into his arms and as he stood, he saw Tom.

“Ah Sidney there you are. Come, we have guests, you really need to speak to them.” Tom beckoned to Sidney who was rooted to the spot. He didn’t like being ambushed like this; he couldn’t believe that Tom had stooped so low as to  actually invite Eliza into his home after everything it had took for  Sindey to rid her from their lives. 

Before he could do anything, Eliza appeared next to Tom “Sidney, darling.” She walked towards him, he was still holding Jenny, he could tell she wanted to escape as much as he  did, but he held her tight to him as though she would protect him from whatever hellish plan Eliza and Tom had concocted together. “So wonderful to see you.” She kissed his check and ruffled Jenny’s hair. “Oh, you smell of the beach, don’t tell me you’re still swimming in the sea at this time of the year. I always told you it was an idiotic thing to do unless you’re somewhere like Dubai of course.” Eliza turned and walked back to the conservatory. “Come on Sidney we have things to discuss.” 

Sidney spoke quietly to Jenny to say he needed to speak to Eliza and her daddy and that he would see her later. He put her down and she went into the living room to play with her siblings. Once she had disappeared and the door was closed Sidney walked to Tom, he looked at him squarely in the eye and  through gritted teeth he quietly asked him what the hell had he done? 

“Come now Sidney, let's go through and talk to Eliza.” Tom turned and quickly walked into the conservatory, speaking loudly and far too enthusiastically for Sidney’s liking. He looked back at Mary who mouthed “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” He smiled sadly at her and followed his older brother. 

Squaring his shoulders and quickly reciting his twelve times table in his head Sidney walked into the conservatory. He saw a small man with a balding head, that he was obviously trying to hide by combing his hair over from one side to the other, with small round spectacles perched on his large nose sat next to Eliza, who was sat up straight listening to Tom. As soon as Eliza saw him, Sidney could tell she stopped listening to Tom, if she ever really was. 

“Sidney, come and sit down here.” She patted the chair next to her, but Sidney avoided it and sat next to his brother, hating the feeling of being ambushed and wanting to be as close to the door as possible in case he needed to make a quick exit. He didn’t like how Eliza swept her eyes over him and licked her lip at the same time. He felt himself shudder, forcing himself to swallow the small bit of bile that had appeared in his mouth turning his attention to the man next to her. “Oh, this is Bernard, he’s my solicitor. After speaking with Tom, I spent a long time thinking about what happened when we divorced. It doesn’t seem fair to me that my father withdrew his investment. So, after some consideration I have decided to return that investment to you, Sidney.” She smiled at him as Tom erupted into excited exclamations about how wonderful that was, and that she was a fair woman with great business sense. As Tom rambled on Eliza’s smile got bigger, obviously pleased that her offer had been accepted although not formally. 

“We don’t need your investment. Tom was wrong to contact you.” Sidney asked silencing Tom’s excitement with his deep voice that seemed to boom louder than even Sidney had expected. His annoyance at Tom growing and his anger at Eliza peaking. It had been five years since the divorce had been finalised and much longer since her father had withdrawn the investment, he knew her and knew that there was no way she would return the money without having something in return. The question was how high the price would be. 

“Come now Sidney, Tom sent me the figures and the books, and I can see a little cash injection wouldn’t hurt, surely you must see that. Besides the money should never have been withdrawn. My father was wrong and if he was here today, he would see that and know I’m making a sound investment.”

“ Of course you are Eliza, it’s fabulous that you want to invest. I’m so pleased, what a wonderful start to the new year this is going to be. I’m going to get some champagne.” Tom stood and made to leave but stopped as he heard Sidney speak again. 

“So, this money isn’t really returning something that wasn’t yours in the first place, it’s an investment? To me that suggests you want something in return. As I said before we do not need your  investment, Eliza. Tom, we don’t need champagne. I’m leaving.” 

Eliza stood, and faced Sidney. “I think you may have missed something important here Sidney. Tom has already accepted my offer. We just need your signature now.” 

Sidney looked at Tom who was frozen in the doorway before returning his eyes to Eliza. “You can’t be serious Eliza, that wasn’t a formal acceptance and Tom hasn’t signed anything have you Tom?” Sidney stood up to face Tom, he couldn’t believe his ears, what had Tom been up to and how had he managed to get this passed himself and Babington? 

Tom wrung his hands together and looked between Eliza and Sidney, “Well, not officially but Eliza is  right we do need the investment .” He trailed off.

Sidney couldn’t understand what Tom was trying to say so he looked to Eliza.

“We were  finalising the details and about to talk conditions.” She said calmly sitting  again before sipping from her cup slowly batting her eyes at him in a way that once would have made him do anything for her, but he found the action left him cold and unaffected.

“Conditions?” He asked quietly, suddenly frightened about what these conditions may entail and why he was needed as this deal seemed to be between Eliza and Tom.

“Well, you see Sidney.” She walked towards him and placed her hand on his chest. “I want a baby and my husband isn’t able to give me one. We agreed to look elsewhere, and I have chosen you.”

“What the fuck?” Sidney shouted, before remembering the children were in the house. Closing his eyes, he took a depth breath before continuing. “You have got to be joking? Is this some sort of fucked up joke because I’m not laughing.” He stepped back away from Eliza to look at Tom. “Did you know this was a condition?” 

“Well, no I didn’t. Eliza told me she wanted the new wing to be named after her that was all. But just think Sidney a child of your own, plus we really do need to expand the hotel if we want to attract more visitors.” Sidney couldn’t believe his ears, their plan sounded so far-fetched they couldn’t be serious. 

“Tom, you have really lost your mind on this one as  have you Eliza. The answer is no.” Sidney looked at Eliza as he could no longer stand looking at his own brother. 

“Sidney, darling.” Eliza sat calmly looking back at Sidney as he clenched his jaw. ‘It’ll just be a week of your time and then you won’t ever see me again as long as I’m pregnant that is.” She winked at him.

“The answer is no. It is never going to happen. We do not need the money. Tom I’ll sit down with you in the New Year and properly look at your plans again and I will invest more but I will never accept any money from you Eliza. Do you understand?” He spun around to look at Tom, his head buzzing trying to work out if he was dreaming or if he had somehow been drugged and he was hallucinating. 

“Sidney how are you going to invest the same amount as Eliza is proposing? Be serious you don’t have £1.5 million available to put into the hotel, do you? The terms aren’t that bad I mean, how else are you going to have a child?” Tom dismissed Sidney’s concerns with a shrug of his shoulders before sitting back down and crossing his legs.

“Are you serious Tom?” Sidney cried. “I will not sell my sperm for god's sake, if  I’m ever to be a father it will be with someone I love and where I will be part of the child's life. You two have lost you minds if you thi nk  I’d ever agree to this. Fucking hell, to even think of it, is just madness.” Sidney stood shaking his head.  He could n’t understand what was happening here, he ran his hands through his hair exasperated with his brother. This was beyond anything he had ever tried before, although he had to admit  he was n’t entirely surprised at Eliza. 

“Sidney, sweetheart, sit down. I have already transferred some of the money and instructed an architect to draw up some plans. Things are already in motion. You just need to sign. It’s not a huge issue, if I remember rightly you used to enjoy spending the night with me.” Eliza licked her bottom lip and smiled as she saw Sidney watching her, her smile dropped quickly as she it saw it had no effect on him whatsoever. 

“Eliza, that was a long time ago, things have changed, more importantly I have changed. I will instruct the bank to transfer the money back and well I’m sorry but more fool you for doing anything before completing the deal.” Sidney ran his hand through his hair, he needed to leave before he hit something, he still couldn’t believe this was serious, it was far too absurd to be real. He would wake up soon he was sure of it. Sidney looked at his brother and took a deep breath before continuing. “I will not be part of this. Tom, if you continue with this, I will never speak to you again and I will put the hotel up for sale. Babington will agree with me, and you’ll have no choice but to sell. It’s your choice Tom but I am leaving.” 

As Sidney turned to leave, he saw Eliza stand as though to stop him, but he just kept walking, he could not stay in the room any longer. He had managed to control his temper, but he could feel he wouldn’t be able to do it much longer. Tom was lucky that the children had been in the next room, he could have easily punched him for suggesting there was nothing wrong with having a baby with Eliza when he knew that Sidney was with Charlotte. Nothing that was said in that room had made any sense. Shaking his head as he walked towards the front door, he heard Mary call his name quietly. He turned to look at her as she walked towards him.

“Are you ok? I didn’t know she would be here until she arrived and before I could let you know you arrived. What happened?” Mary looked up at him and he could see the concern on her face, just as he was about to  speak, he saw movement coming from the conservatory as Tom rounded the corner. 

“Ask Tom, I need to leave, but know this Mary, if Tom chooses Eliza, I won’t step foot in this house ever again. You and the children will be welcome at my home, but Tom will not.” He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek before turning and leaving the house, slamming the door behind him as he heard Tom call his name. 

Standing on the street trying to calm his temper, he heard his phone beep. He looked at the screen and his heart rate began to slow down back to a normal pace as he saw the text was from Charlotte letting him know she was home, and he could arrive whenever he wanted.

Sidney had driven straight to Charlotte’s house and was stood outside not so patiently waiting for her to open the door. As he knocked on the door for a third time his phone rang again. He had already ignored fifteen missed calls from Tom, and he had no intention of answering this one, as he pulled out the phone to turn it off, he saw it was Charlotte. 

“Hello, I’m outside.” He stepped back and looked up at the upstairs windows, not exactly sure why but he needed to do  something to keep from kicking the door down.

“Hi, let yourself in, I’m in the bath. The key is under the gnome with the blue trousers and the broken arm.” 

Sidney looked around and spotted the gnome who had a sling painted over his one arm, he had expected the arm to have been broken off rather than an actual broken arm. Crouching down he tipped the gnome and found the key underneath. “I’ve got it, not the most secure hiding place Miss Heywood.” Sidney laughed as he pushed the key into the lock. 

He hung up and closed the door to the rest of the world. He saw Mavis stood at the top of the stairs and ran up them two at a time, stroking her head as he reached her. He looked up just in time to see Charlotte stand up in the bath. His breath hitched as his eyes slid over her perfect form which was glistening as the water droplets ran down her curves, gliding over her soft creamy skin. 

Swallowing deeply, he pushed the door open further and without waiting to say hello he walked to the bath and pulled a wet Charlotte against him and crushed his lips against her mouth, desperately searching for a connection. Charlotte kissed him back with equal passion which just spurred him on to pick her up out of the bath. As he lifted her, he felt Charlotte wrap her legs and arms around him, pulling his mouth closer to hers, slipping her tongue into his mouth, he moaned at the sensation that ran through his whole body from the way she caressed his tongue with her own. 

Sidney pulled his head away so he could negotiate their way into her bedroom, he didn’t want to topple down the stairs if he misjudged his footing. Charlotte moved her mouth to his neck and started kissing the skin just below his ear causing him to close his eyes. He turned and pushed her back against the wall, running his hands along her thighs, brushing his fingerstips along her folds as he reached her bum. He felt her gasp against his neck as he did it, and he couldn’t resist doing it again hoping to hear the noise come from her lips once more. He was rewarded as his finger brushed her warmth, she gasped again and then gently bit his neck. He growled at the pain but continued his stroking in hopes that she would do it again. 

As he pushed himself closer to her his jeans were becoming an uncomfortable barrier between them, he knew he needed to move them to somewhere more comfortable or at least somewhere he could take off his clothes so he could feel all her body against his own. He wanted to feel her heat against his skin, feel her fingers run over his skin and claim him as hers once more.

Laying her gently on the bed he stood back to admire her body as she moved her hands to cover her stomach, moving one across her breasts while the other lowered to cover her soft curls. He couldn’t understand why she would cover herself from his view as she had never done it before, so he lifted his eyes to her face and smiled softly at her, trying to convey all the love he felt for her through his eyes. 

Sidney removed his coat and shirt as he pushed off his one shoe with the toe of the other foot, before repeating it to remove his other shoe. All the time keeping his eyes on hers. He lowered his trousers and boxers before slowly climbing up the bed to lay next to Charlotte, who turned her body to be flush with his. 

Their chests to their toes touching as their fingers explored where they could, staring into each other's eyes, breathing in as the other beathed out. Sidney ran his fingertips up from Charlotte’s hip along the side of her waist before stopping at her breast, which he covered fully with his hand. Enjoying the softness of her skin on his palm and the firmness of her nipple between his  fingers. She had looked down to follow his finger, finally returning her eyes to his, she leaned closer and kissed him. 

From that moment it was a frenzy of hands, tongues and lips as they kissed, licked and stroked each other, the passion building quickly, neither of them wanting to lose the others touch. 

Breathlessly Sidney pulled away “Where are the condoms?” He looked around unsure where Charlotte may have placed them in her room. 

“Top drawer.” Charlotte pointed to the bedside table as she placed soft kisses along his back while he was turned away from her. This was a part of his body she loved but certainly didn’t show enough love to. As he stretched to reach the drawer, she marveled at the way his muscles moved under his tanned skin. He looked leaner and more defined since she had last seen him. Unsure of whether that was possible in a week or whether her mind just hadn’t quite remembered how beautiful his body really was, either way she placed her lips against his skin and gently bit his shoulder while he put the condom on not wanting to stop touching him, now he was finally back with her. 

Sidney turned to face Charlotte and captured her lips with his and pushed her back against the bed, licking her nipples as he settled himself between her legs before sucking the firm bud into his mouth, as he did so she yelped, he looked up  fairly certain the noise she had made  hadn’t been made in pleasure. “Sorry. Are you OK?” He asked concern written over his face . 

“Yeah, I just need you. I just want to feel you. Please Sidney.” Charlotte pulled him closer, as he guided himself to her entrance. He stopped and looked up at her face, searching it for any sign of her wanting to stop but she smiled at him, unable to hold back any loner he thrust into her quickly. He could feel her fingernails pushing into his skin as she pulled him closer, feeling her lift her hips against his, he  recognised her need for urgency, he could see it in her face as she moved under him, she was matching his own need that he felt deep within him. He pulled himself out before thrusting quickly back into her, Charlotte matching his thrusts increasing the pressure on his bum as she screamed out his name as her orgasm surged through her body. 

Sidney lifted her leg up, so it hooked over his hip, burying himself deeper into her warmth, as Charlotte looked up at him and as she pushed her fingers into his hair, he felt his own release. He hadn’t wanted it to end so quickly, of all the times he had thought about their first time once they were back  together he had imagined himself taking his time, kissing and exploring every inch of her body before taking her fully, he had wanted to remind her of how they had made love that night he had come back from London, but instead neither had been able to hold back. He didn’t regret  it; he knew they had both needed the quick release while renewing their connection. He vowed that the next time he was going to kiss her from head to toe and everywhere in between, making her feel worshipped in the way she deserved.

Sidney lay on his back staring at the ceiling with Charlotte curled into his side, drawing circles across his chest and occasionally stroking the dark hair he had across his chest. He felt  relaxed and kissed her head and told her he had forgotten to bring the food with him from the chip shop. She murmured that they would get a delivery, as she was too tired to cook and that she didn’t want him to go out either. He pulled her closer and wrapped both arms around her, both content with being back together. 


	18. Still Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few things get sorted out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a shorter chapter to get us moving a little quicker. 
> 
> This chapter starts off a little steamy so stop reading at the *** and start again at the 2nd *** if that's not your thing.
> 
> Thank you as always for reading and commenting. I do love seeing every comment here, on twitter or facebook and each of them give me pause for thought as well as a big smile. 
> 
> You guys are awesome and I am grateful for the joy you bring to each other and myself whichever platform we're using. 
> 
> Anyways enjoy.....

Charlotte woke up to  the sound of Sidney  talking loudly somewhere in the house. A little disoriented she checked the time, it was only 9pm. She must have fallen asleep  when they had been talking, her wet hair now dry. 

Putting on her toweling robe and tying it at her waist she  looked at herself in the mirror, her hair was a little wild but nothing a  bobble wouldn’t sort out.  She walked slowly down the stairs and saw Sidney stood in the living room with his back to the door holding  his phone to his ea r.  She loved his confidence of standing  naked in the middle of the  room with his free hand on his hip .  His back was straight, but she could see he was tense; his shoulders were higher than normal, and she could see his jaw clenching as he listened to whomever was on the phone. Charlotte lowered her eyes down his body enjoying the small shadows made by his muscles as they were bathed in the soft light from the small table lamp. 

Sidney suddenly spoke waking Charlotte from her thoughts.  “Tom, it’s late and we’ve gone over this a few times now. I’m not  interested, we don’t need the money.”

**************************

Sidney jumped under Charlotte’s soft touch of running her fingers along his shoulder, turning his head to look at her, he leaned down to kiss her while still listening to Tom. He pulled her close with the hand that had been on his hip and deepened the kiss. Charlotte could hear Tom’s voice on the phone and tried to pull back to let Sidney continue his call but as she did, she saw him hang up and throw the phone on the chair. In one swift movement he turned his body towards her and wrapped both arms around her and kissed her passionately as he pushed one hand into her hair. Her legs buckled underneath her as he nuzzled her neck as he untied her robe, sliding it down her arms and placing kisses along her shoulders. Before she could step back further, he pulled her to him again, pressing his lips to hers and pulling her hips flush against his own, pressing his hard cock between them. 

Charlotte slid her hand between them and wrapped her fingers around his throbbing cock as he continued to kiss her neck and shoulders, stroking the soft creamy skin on her breast gently with one hand while the other ran up and down her spine, causing goosebumps in its wake. She moved her hand and began slowly tracing her fingers over the pulsating veins before grasping him more tightly. Sidney groaned as she increased her pace, causing his kisses to become messier and his grip on her bum tighter. 

Charlotte managed to pull her body back from him, their eyes locked, Charlotte licked her lips as she dropped to her knees in front of him and took his cock into her warm mouth. Sidney’s hands flew into her hair, pushing his fingers into it, tugging it slightly as he released a loud breath as Charlotte licked his tip, flicking her tongue over the smooth sensitive head. He knew he  wouldn’t be able to stand much longer if Charlotte continued sucking and licking his cock like she was, the sensations flowing through his body were causing him to grip her hair tighter. He groaned as he felt himself begin to pulsate in her mouth as she looked up at him from under her lashes before taking his full length back into her luscious mouth again. He felt his orgasm rush through his body before he was able to say anything. He looked at Charlotte who he could tell had a slight smile on her lips as she slowed her rhythm, cleaning him with her mouth as she went. 

Sidney pulled Charlotte to her feet, kissing her briefly before picking her up and walking her to the sofa where he laid her down against the cushions. He bent his knees and settled on the floor between her legs. Pulling her slightly towards him he made small circles with his fingertips on the soft skin of her leg, following the circles with his tongue he moved up her thigh towards her  centre where he blew softly on her curls, continuing his fingertip strokes on her sensitive skin. He looked up at her face, with her eyes closed and her plump lips slightly open he  couldn’t resist lifting himself over her to kiss her. Enjoying the passion, she evoked in him he slowly backed away from her mouth, kissing and licking his way down her neck towards her full breasts which were beckoning to him with their stiff pink nipples. He licked and flicked her one nipple with his warm  tongue leaving it glistening in the low light before moving to the other, where he licked and sucked her nipple gently into his mouth all the while keeping his fingertips softly stroking her smooth skin. As he moved his kisses down Charlotte’s body, he heard her breathing become shallower especially as he reached her curls and nuzzled his nose in them before pushing his tongue through to find the swollen bud of nerves which he slowly swirled his tongue around it before sucking it between his lips as she moaned loudly, gripping his hair, and digging her nails into his hand that he had left on her hip. Dipping his tongue through her folds he could finally taste her, how he had missed this while she had been away. He  slowly pulled his tongue up through her folds to suck her bud between his lips again, as he increased the pressure, he slipped his fingers inside her, her walls clenching around them, welcoming him in. Charlotte lifted her hips to meet his fingers and mouth, pulling his head closer by his hair as he increased his movements. Sidney heard Charlotte moan softly and then breathe out his name, it fell from her lips over and over as her orgasm flooded her body and his mouth. Her fingers released his hair as she drew her hands up her body and into her hair. Sidney lifted his head and watched as the euphoric glow settled over her features. 

******************************* 

As he watched  her, he stood and bent to pick her up. She put her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his shoulder, her breaths softly blowing against his skin, causing him to shiver. He wanted to be inside her, to make them one so he walked to the stairs, stepping on the first  stair just as a loud bang hit the front door. Mavis erupted into a loud barking frenzy as Sidney placed Charlotte down on the step. 

“You go up, I’ll put your robe on and see who it is.” Sidney nodded to Charlotte to encourage her to go up the stairs just as another loud knock sounded. Sidney yelled that he would be there shortly and retrieved the plain yellow fluffy robe from the floor. He was grateful Charlotte seemed to have bought a larger size than she needed as luckily it covered everything it needed to. He could hear Mavis still barking upstairs with Charlotte trying to calm the little dog as a third knock landed on the door. 

Sidney opened the door to find Tom standing there  wringing his hands on the other side looking down the road as if to check who else might be there. 

“Tom? What are you doing here? How did you know where to find me?” Sidney was shocked and a little annoyed that his brother had turned up at Charlotte’s house. Sidney  hadn’t had chance to speak to Charlotte about his earlier meeting and  didn’t want her to find out about it from Tom. 

“Mary told me if you weren’t at  home, you’d be here. Look can I come in?” Tom looked around again before looking at Sidney. 

“Erm, yes but briefly. It’s not really the best time, what is the time?” Sidney stepped to the side to allow Tom to enter the house, closing the door quietly behind him. 

“It’s almost ten o’clock.  Go and get dressed I can’t talk to  you with you wearing that.” Tom motioned to the robe Sidney was wearing then walked towards the kitchen without another word. 

Sidney was quite  dumbfounded by Tom being here and with his calm but nervous demeanor. He ran up the stairs to find Charlotte dressed in his hoody and her  pyjama trousers sat on her bed. He sat down next to her and took her hand in his. “It’s my brother. We had a meeting earlier and he had my ex-wife there.  It’s a bit of a long story but she wanted to invest in the hotel, Tom wants to accept but I  don’t want to, especially once she revealed what she wants in return. I said no straight away. Charlotte, I wanted to tell you all this properly but there  hasn’t been time tonight. I just wanted to be with you and not think of their crazy proposal. Anyway,  he’s here and wants to talk. Would you mind if we use your kitchen? I can take him to mine if you prefer?”

Charlotte looked at Sidney’s face and saw all the tension and anxiety etched in it, his jaw clenched, and his bright eyes had dimmed. “ Of course, you can, I’ll come down to meet him and get a sandwich then Mavis and I will stay up here.”

Sidney stood and put his clothes back on, he bent down to kiss the top of Charlotte’s head. Before leaving the room Sidney pulled Charlotte to him and wrapped his arms around her, he kissed her head as he  did, he took a deep breath and whispered, “I love you” into her soft hair.

Charlotte pulled her head back “Pardon?” 

“Nothing, I just sighed. Tom can be a little.... urm enthusiastic about things. I’m sorry he’s interrupted our evening.” He smiled sadly at her, he knew it  wasn’t the best time to tell her he loved her, but he had just needed to get the words out. He kissed her gently on the nose. 

“It’s OK, I do need to talk to you, but it can wait until later or tomorrow.  I’m in work until 3pm but can we spend some time together before the ball? I really missed you when I was in Willingden.”

Sidney kissed her passionately and pulled back breathlessly. “I missed you too, more than you know. We could go for a walk along the  beach. I can meet you at the Retreat.” 

“Yes, I’d really like that.” They leaned forward and kissed softly before hearing Tom call Sidney’s name up the stairs. Sidney rolled his eyes and took  Charlotte's hand leading her out of the room and down the stairs . 

Walking into the kitchen together they saw Tom sat at the table rolling an apple between his hands on the tabletop, Sidney could tell he was anxious, and Sidney felt glad that his brother was nervous.

“Charlotte this is Tom my older brother, Tom this is Charlotte, my girlfriend.” Sidney looked at Charlotte to confirm if she was happy with the new  title, he had just given her, she nodded and smiled at him before turning her attention to Tom. 

“Hi Tom, nice to meet you. Would you like a drink and something to eat?” Charlotte moved to the kettle and switched it on. 

“No, thank you Charlotte, I have only come to speak to Sidney. It really can’t wait I’m afraid.” Tom looked between Sidney and Charlotte, “I think it would be better if we spoke alone if you don’t mind Charlotte?”    


  
“Tom, this is Charlotte’s house, if she wants to stay, she is more than welcome to. I have nothing to hide, do you Tom?” Sidney spoke in a low voice through clenched teeth, his temper already rising.

“Well, of course it is her house but it’s a delicate matter Sidney.” Tom stuttered looking at Charlotte for support. 

“It’s fine Sidney, I’m going to take this upstairs. I’ll see you at the ball tomorrow Tom.” As Charlotte walked past  Sidney, she looked up at him and smiled, he smiled in  return, but it was small and  didn’t reach his eyes. 

Sidney sat at the table and looked at his brother, waiting for him to start the conversation because Sidney knew that after what he had said earlier Tom could say nothing to change his mind. There was no way he would have a baby with Eliza for money or otherwise . 

Tom started a long speech that he had prepared under Mary’s  tutelage apologising for his actions and citing the reason’s he had contacted Eliza. Sidney noticed that not once did Tom look at him while he was speaking, Sidney had a feeling that Tom was lying.

“Stop Tom, you need to tell me the truth. You forget I keep the accounts at the hotel and know the financial situation better than anyone. Why did you really approach Eliza?” Sidney was getting tired, he  hadn’t slept well the last few nights and his bed was calling him, his patience with his brother already at an  all-time low. 

Tom ran his hand over his face before leaning his elbows on the table, his face looked like it had suddenly aged ten years. “Sidney, I have made a mess of everything. I am so sorry. Please forgive me.” Tom looked up at Sidney with a pleading look in his eyes.

“Explain to me what you’ve done Tom, maybe I can help.” Sidney leaned forward in his chair taking a sip of tea from the mug Charlotte had placed there for him. He  couldn’t wait for this to be over so he could hold her, now he had taken the first step of whispering those three words to her he felt brave enough to say them louder the next time he said them. He just needed to deal with Tom’s drama first.

Sidney pulled his mind back into the room to listen to Tom, who was explaining that he had remortgaged Trafalgar house and had used the money to buy a large run-down house that had come on the market a few months earlier. His reasoning was he thought he and Mary could turn it into a boutique B&B with luxury status. Unfortunately, the planning permission for the changes he wanted to do had been rejected due to the house being in a residential area with no other B& B’s on the street. He was now stuck with a mortgage and not enough money to pay it. He had tried to put the house back on the market, but it  hadn’t received any interest at all. 

Tom looked at Sidney and sighed. “Sidney, I didn’t approach Eliza, she approached me. Something about seeing Crowe jogged her memory about how much she loved you and how she still had the original investment from her father in an account. Somehow, she knew about the house and the planning permission being refused, she offered to help as she knows someone who deals with this kind of thing all the time. She said she just wanted the chance to put things right, she seemed genuine. I  didn’t know anything about her plan to ask for a baby in return for the money. I swear to you Sidney. At first, I admit I  didn’t see the issue; I was blinded by my desperation, but Mary made me see how ludicrous the suggestion was, especially now  you’re seeing Charlotte. I  don’t know what to do. I desperately need the money.” Tom slumped back in his  chair looking exhausted. 

“Right, well at least we agree on something.” Sidney sighed and stood up to put the kettle back on. “Do you know how much money you need?”    
  
Tom sighed “To get the mortgage back on track or to develop the building?” 

“If the planning permission has been declined developing the building isn’t  an option . Tom, you need to be realistic. It sounds to me that you need to get rid of that house as quickly as possible. How much did you spend on it?” 

“A little over £300,000. Trafalgar house is now mortgaged as much as it can be.”

Setting a mug down in front of Tom and one in front of his own seat Sidney sat down opposite Tom with a sigh. Sidney’s anger had disappeared but was now replaced with frustration, he had always struggled to  comprehend Tom’s lack of money management and sense. He knew Tom’s mortgage had always been small because of the inheritance he had received from their parents, so to remortgage his family home was a risk that Sidney unlike Tom,  didn’t feel was worth taking. 

“How were you going to finance the refurb and pay the legal costs?” 

“Well, I was hoping for a quick turnaround, so I  took a holiday payment, I thought everything would be finished by the time I needed to make a payment.” Tom was nodding his head as though to convince Sidney it was all  a good idea . 

“ Fucking hell Tom, didn’t you factor in for delays?  Don’t answer that you obviously  didn’t ! Your plan really doesn’t make financial sense, what were you thinking?” Sidney sighed again and picked up his mug to buy some time while he thought. “How much does Mary know about what happened today and about this house?”

“She knows everything now; I hadn’t told her anything before today, so she knew nothing about the house or Eliza.  She’s disgusted and quite rightly so. I  don’t think Mary drew breath for a full hour after you left. She practically threw Eliza on to the street after she reiterated your sentiments. I have to say I never knew Mary disliked Eliza so much, I was quite taken aback.” Tom chuckled at the memory before looking back at Sidney. “The wrath she showed Eliza was nothing compared to what she turned on  me mind you.  She’s told me that if I  don’t sort this mess out,  she’s going to leave taking the children with her. I have until the end of the week to get a plan in place and I  have to stay at the hotel until further notice. To be truthful Sidney, I don’t even know where to start.” Tom lowered his eyes to look at his hands as he played with his wedding ring. “I have really let Mary down.”

The room was silent apart from the sound of the dripping tap as both men contemplated the situation.

Sidney spoke first “I can’t really help with Mary, other than to say do whatever you can to resolve this with her. She is a great woman, and you need her by your side. I can be more help with your other problems.” Sidney sighed, considering his words carefully. Taking a deep breath, he launched into his plan. “I will buy the house from you and pay to renovate it into a habitable home or flats, whichever suits it best depending on planning permission approval of course.” Sidney saw the relief flood Tom’s face as he paused. “But I have conditions Tom and they must be stuck to. The first is you need to tell Eliza her investment  isn’t needed and return any money she has transferred. The second condition is you sever all ties with Eliza and if she ever contacts you again you block her or ignore her, but you never renew the acquaintance we once had. The third, which is  the most important the money I pay you will go straight on your mortgage, every single penny of it. Is that agreed?” Sidney extended his hand across the table to seal the deal. He saw Tom hesitate and almost yelled at him; Sidney was giving him a get out of jail free card, without even looking at the property and seeing how much more money he would need to invest before getting a return on it, Tom should be biting his hand off. 

“Sidney, are you sure?” Sidney nodded still holding his hand out across the table. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.” Tom stood gesturing for Sidney to join him. Sidney stood and Tom embraced him in a brotherly hug.

“All you need to do to repay me is stick to the conditions and never do something this stupid again. This a one-time offer Tom, next time you’re on your own.” 

They separated and Tom wiped a tear from his cheek, “I will, as sure as eggs are eggs I will. You  don’t have to worry about that. Thank you, Sidney. Thank you. I will leave you to the rest of your evening.” 

Sidney walked Tom to the door and told him that he would be at Trafalgar house in the morning to go through more details about the house before instructing his solicitor to act. Tom hugged Sidney again then disappeared out the door into the night. 

Sidney leaned his head against the closed door and exhaled loudly. He was exhausted and a little confused about what had happened throughout the day. His head was spinning with all the thoughts about what he needed to do next, he knew he could afford to buy the house and renovate it, he just  didn’t know if he had the energy to do it. He had spent so long building and designing his own home, he knew this house  wouldn’t need to be the same specification but if he was going to renovate a house, he wanted to do it properly. Sighing again he decided he could hire an interior designer this time and would then only need to sign off on the designs they produced. 

“Sidney, are you OK?” Charlotte’s soft voice broke into his thoughts just as he started to think about the tax implications. He stood up and looked at Charlotte, wrapped in her yellow robe, with messy hair and tired eyes. 

“Yes, I’m fine. You look tired,  I’ll let Mavis out then  I’ll head home. Mavis, come here girl.” He smiled up at her as Mavis ran down the stairs to him.

“Aren’t you going to stay?” Charlotte stepped down the stairs and sat on the top step. He was right she was tired, but she wanted him to be close, she wanted to be in his arms when she told him about taking the test and as much as she wanted to go to sleep, she felt it would be better to speak to him tonight rather than on their beach walk. Charlotte thought it would be easier to whisper the words in the darkness rather than in the bright daylight. It would be easier to hide her emotions for a start. 

“I’d love to stay, go get into bed and I’ll lock up.” He walked through to the kitchen to let Mavis out into the garden and gathered the mugs while he waited for her to come back in. As she trotted through the door, he bent down to stroke her head. “Come on you, up the stairs.” He stood as she ran ahead of him. Making sure all the lights were off and the doors were locked Sidney walked up the stairs feeling exhausted. 

After using the bathroom Sidney walked into the bedroom to find Charlotte asleep under the quilt with just her head poking out the top and Mavis laying proudly next to her where he would need to lay. He chuckled, striped down to his boxers and shooed her off the bed before slipping under the covers and draping his arm over Charlotte’s waist, breathing in her scent he fell asleep quickly.


	19. Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the day of the New Year's Eve Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, just wanted to quickly say I know a lot of you were disappointed with the last chapter and I'm sorry. I have a plan and we are getting there I promise. Hopefully you'll all stick with me until we reach our happy ending.
> 
> I do really appreciate the time you all take to read and comment. You're all fantastic. I know I haven't replied to comments on the last chapter yet, I will very soon. 
> 
> Here's the next chapter.   
> Take care all, love and hugs to all x

Sidney was exhausted, he had missed his walk with Charlotte and was now rushing to get ready to go to the ball. They had arranged that he would pick her up at her house just after eight o’clock, checking his watch he had forty minutes until  he needed to be there. 

Standing under the hot shower he cast his thoughts back over the day. It had been much harder and more complex to deal with Tom’s issues than he had first thought. Thankfully Mary had been productive the night before and had sorted all the paperwork into respective piles, so it was easier to go through. Although Tom had copies of the hotel's accounts, he was unable to get any credit using the hotel’s name or reputation. The main issue had come from the clauses set out in the new mortgage that Tom had taken on Trafalgar House. Mary had pointed out the extortionate amount they would have to pay on top of the balance if they were to make an early repayment. This had certainly caused them a few issues as Tom didn’t have the money and Sidney was unwilling to pay any extra money on top of the purchase price. Sidney was willing to buy the house as he knew his money would be returned once the house was sold and he was confident he would see a profit. Giving Tom the money for the early repayment charge was just throwing money away and although Sidney was able to pay the sum, he found he just didn’t want to. He felt he was already helping Tom enough. In the end they decided that Mary would open an account solely in her name and the money would be deposited from Sidney into this account once the sale was complete, she would then instruct the bank to take the mortgage direct debit from there. 

Sidney had been surprised at Mary, he had always known she was strong and intelligent but the way she had worked through more than one problem today was incredible. Instead of breaking down at her husband's incompetence she had tackled the issues head on. They had discovered that Tom was not only behind on the mortgage, but all the utilities and he had several credit cards with substantial outstanding balances that hadn’t been paid for a few months, the charges mounting up to an obscene amount. Sidney had thought he would need to formulate a plan to rectify the situation, but Mary had sat drinking her tea doing just that while Tom had dithered and dallied around the room using every  excuse he could think of to explain the situation and weasel his way out of the responsibility of it. Sidney had been close to hitting him more than once during the day, but Mary had been calm and had calculated everything before Sidney could offer a suitable solution. She had decided to confiscate Tom’s card for their joint account and told him they would visit the bank together to get his name removed from it. Mary decided the best way forward was for Tom to have a cash allowance every month, she had firmly told him that if he went over the allowance, he would receive no more, if there was a special  purchase he needed extra money for they would discuss it together, before moving ahead with it. She had also managed to find a loan with a low interest rate so she could consolidate the credit cards and pay off the utilities, so they were back in the black refusing to take a cash loan from Sidney. Tom had spluttered at the idea of taking the bank loan rather than the interest free loan from Sidney, but Mary had told him to have some pride, not to rely on his younger brother and if he ever wanted her to respect him, he would never take a loan from Sidney again. 

Once Mary had sorted all the financial issues Tom had created, she contacted the bank and arranged for the transfer of Eliza’s money back to her, telling Tom she didn’t trust him to do such a simple act especially as it needed to be done sooner rather than later. 

Mary had then insisted  on taking Sidney to the house Tom had bought. She  hadn’t seen it either and wanted to see what Tom had almost ruined them for. She  didn’t allow Tom to join them telling him he could look after baby James and pick up the other children if they  weren’t back in time. Mary had picked up all the paperwork with them for the house and Sidney had been surprised when she pulled into a parking space in town. She told him she needed some cake, and they could go through the estate agent's particulars together before looking at the house. 

Sidney had called into the Retreat to see if Charlotte wanted to join them, he had told her about Tom and Eliza’s plan over breakfast, as well as discussing with her about him purchasing the new house. Her reaction of wanting to help with the renovation had surprised him, but he was pleased that she wanted to support him with it, easing some of the pressures he had originally felt about dealing with a designer again. He had not found it a pleasant experience with his own home and had ended up dismissing them a couple of weeks into the interior decoration phase. 

Unfortunately, she  hadn’t been able to join them but had reiterated that she had something important to discuss with him herself and it needed to be done this afternoon. He had told her he would be there but then  had got sucked into another problem caused by Tom, who had been on a video call with Eliza when they had returned. Tom was adamant that he was telling her he  wasn’t interested in keeping her money and that he had told her he  wouldn’t be in touch again. Sidney had ended up taking over the call, telling her he would take out a restraining order if she attempted to contact any of the Parker family ever again. 

He had left Trafalgar House later than planned, the rain had started, and it was dark. When Sidney had phoned Charlotte, she was already home and had obviously been annoyed at him. Telling him a few times they needed to talk and that he needed to make time for her tomorrow. That they would need to switch their phones off and no matter what happened outside the front door they would talk. He had agreed readily, a day locked away with Charlotte sounded fantastic, he was a little nervous about what might be so important, but he was sure whatever it was they would work through it together. 

Charlotte was sat on the floor in front of her full-length mirror applying the last of her make up, she had already put her hair up, lifting it up off her neck leaving a few soft wispy bits lose around her face. She felt  pretty even if she was exhausted and more than a little pissed at Sidney. She had spent all day being distracted about how to tell him her news that she had stood with her hands resting on one client’s back for a few too many minutes ending up with them questioning her if she was OK. After that she had pulled herself together and decided that no matter what he said she knew what she wanted to do and didn’t need to have a relationship to do it. Although having Sidney be part of the future was her preferred plan. 

Charlotte felt she had been understanding about Sidney needing to help his brother last night, she had even been understanding about the crazy proposition his ex-wife had offered and even this morning when he answered his phone to his brother just as she was about to tell him she had stayed calm and nodded at him as he walked out the door with just a kiss on her forehead. The final straw was standing her up for their walk without so much as a text to let her know he was running late. When he had finally called, she had been short, abrupt and probably a little snippy with him on the phone with him, demanding that he make time for her tomorrow. She had considered having the conversation when he picked her up but selfishly, she wanted to go to the ball, and she knew he would need time to digest the news and perhaps to make his peace with her decision. Sitting in front of the mirror she now felt a little guilty as she knew she needed to tell him sooner than later but since she had arrived back yesterday evening everything had been about Tom and his antics, she hoped that this wouldn’t be a regular occurrence in the future. It was something else she would need to speak to Sidney about.

Slipping on her gold dress she heard the front door close, she shouted down to Sidney that she  wouldn’t be long. He shouted back that there was no rush. Adjusting the fabric across her shoulders she  scrutinised herself and if this  was the right dress to wear, it was so unlike anything she would usually wear but Alison had convinced her it was perfect for a black-tie New Year’s Eve party in a swanky hotel with the owner on her arm. She pushed her feet into the shoes she had bought and pulled up the short zip on the heel. Holding the small clutch bag in her hand she regarded her reflection in the mirror again and she was pleased with her efforts and had to admit that after seeing everything together Alison had been right, the dress worked. 

Sidney was stood at the bottom of the stairs looking at his phone he had received a text from Babington to say that Beryl Denham was getting impatient that Sidney wasn’t there, but he had managed to pacify her with some champagne and not to blame him if she was drunk by the time he arrived. Sidney had laughed softly reading the text, last year Beryl had drunk a little too much and had attempted to do the twist on the dance floor much to the amusement of many of the guests. Sidney had had to rescue her from almost falling by dancing with her. 

He looked up just as Charlotte reached the top of the stairs, he felt a small smile spread across his lips and his breathing stop as he saw her. She was glowing in her floor length dress, he saw her small foot poke out of the bottom of the fabric as she lowered her foot to the next step, her perfectly manicured toes were exposed. He raised his eyes and saw how the fabric skimmed over her perfectly curved hips and  emphasised her full pert breasts without showing an ounce of flesh. He  couldn’t breathe as she reached the bottom of the stairs and turned handing him the wrap to place over her almost bare back. As he placed it over her, he  couldn’t resist softly kissing her shoulder as she asked, “Will it not do?” 

“It will do very well. You look incredible.” He kissed her neck again before putting his arm out for her to take so he could escort her to the car. 

As soon as they arrived at the ball, they were greeted by Babington who took them straight to Beryl Denham and the introductions began. Charlotte had never met so many new people in one go. Her face was starting to hurt from smiling and her mind was certainly going numb from exchanging so many pleasantries without any substantial conversation between them. Sidney had kept his hand on Charlotte’s back softly stroking her skin, helping her to relax, meaning they were stood closer together than they might have been if he hadn’t been doing it. She enjoyed the warmth this thought caused as it spread through her body, he was showing everyone in the room that they were together, there was no mistaking that fact. Charlotte gazed at him laughing at something Babington had said, his eyes sparkling, he looked so much freer than he had this morning at the breakfast table. Charlotte felt a little panic rise in her stomach that tomorrow she might permanently remove that free look from his eyes, she sunddenly wanted to leave as it now seemed cruel to leave it any longer but as she continued watching him, she felt she owed him one last night of being free. He turned his head slightly and caught her looking at him, he smiled and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

Sidney leaned close to Charlotte’s ear to ask if she wanted a different drink, he had noticed she hadn’t touched the champagne that she had held in her hand since they had arrived almost an hour before. She nodded and asked for a lemonade. He kissed her again, he really didn’t care who saw, he wanted everyone in the ballroom know that this incredibly beautiful woman had chosen him to be her partner. Babington joined him as he walked to the bar leaving Charlotte and Esther talking. 

“You look very happy Sidney. It’s great to see. Esther can’t wait to catch up with Charlotte this week.” Babington leant on the bar as he spoke. “Do you want to come to our house tomorrow night? We’ll order a takeaway.”

“Not tomorrow, we’re going to spend the day together just the two of us. We haven’t spent any time together properly since before Christmas and I got sucked into Tom’s problems yesterday and today.” Sidney raised his hand to stop Babington from asking. “Honestly you don’t want to know. Let’s just say I will be glad to shut the door tonight, switch off my phone and hide away from the world for a few days with just Charlotte for company.” They carried on talking for a few minutes before the bar tender was able to serve them. They then headed back through the throng of people to their waiting ladies. 

The dance floor had filled up and the DJ was playing a varied selection to suit everyone’s tastes. Placing the drinks on the high table Sidney looked around for Charlotte and Esther before spotting them on the dance floor, both laughing as they moved to the beat of the current song. Sidney was  mesmerised by Charlotte, she was moving fluidly to the music, the enjoyment obvious on her face. He could see the movement of her hips under her tight dress and felt himself become a little aroused watching her. He left Babington at the table without a word and joined Charlotte on the dance floor, placing his hand on her back to let her know he was next to her. She moved over a little to give him space to join them turning her body slightly more towards him than Esther but still including Esther in a triangle formation. 

As the song came to an end Esther said she needed to sit down. Sidney went to follow her, but Charlotte took his hand and pulled him back to her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to his chest, returning his hands to the soft warm skin of her bare back. She, in turn reached her arms up and started to play with the short hair at the back of his neck. They danced flush against each other, slowly swaying from side to side as everyone else around them jumped about to the Queen classic Don’t Stop Me Now. It didn’t matter to them that their dance moves were wrong or that a few people had stopped to watch them on the periphery of the dance floor as they slowly lost themselves in the other more and more, becoming completely oblivious to the world around them. Even when the song had stopped, and another had started they had continued their slow dance. Gazing at each other, speaking a million words with only their eyes and the soft caresses on her back and his neck. 

Suddenly their world was interrupted as Tom tapped Sidney’s arm causing him to break eye contact and pull back from Charlotte as he looked at Tom angrily. 

“Sidney, I think you had better come with me, Georgiana has arrived and she’s in a bit of a state. She won’t leave until she’s spoken to you.” Tom turned towards the entrance, both Sidney and Charlotte followed his movement to see the young woman in question stood with Mary, visibly upset and not dressed appropriately for the ball. 

“Shit.” Sidney let go of Charlotte and pushed his way through the crowd towards the beautiful young woman  who’s face flooded with relief when she saw Sidney then threw herself into his arms. 

Charlotte could see that Sidney had wrapped his arm around her and was leading her out of the ballroom with Mary following. Tom had wandered off towards Beryl Denham, Esther and Babington who all had their backs to the room, Tom was obviously telling them a flamboyant story as his arms were moving animatedly and Charlotte could see he was grinning a little manically. Turning her eyes back to the main door just in time to see Sidney’s back disappear, suddenly the music was too loud and the room too hot as thoughts of what James Stringer had told her about Sidney having an affair with a Georgiana flooded her mind, she started to feel sick as people jostled against her still form on the busy dance floor. She needed to move but she was rooted to the spot. 

“Charlotte, come with me.” She turned her head and saw James stood looking at her, she felt his hand on her elbow as he gently pulled her to the side of the dance floor, where it was quieter with more empty than full tables. He stood too close to her and asked her if she needed a stiff drink not letting her answer before confirming her worse fears by telling her that the woman Sidney had just left with was the receptionist that he had had an affair with. James asked her again if she wanted a drink, she nodded and answered “Anything” when he asked what she wanted. As he walked away, she looked around the bustling room and saw the DJ look at his watch, he picked up his microphone to announce they were ten minutes away from midnight. 

Charlotte decided then that she wasn’t going to stand in a room of people celebrating when her heart had just been torn from her chest and thrown against the wall. She didn’t need Sidney Parker and she certainly wasn’t going to stand by and watch him make a fool of her with his  long-term partner in tow. Charlotte saw one of the patio doors was open and decided to slip through the partly opened curtain out through the open door into the dark night. 

Charlotte ran to the front of the hotel, hoping a taxi would be waiting for its next passenger. She was in luck, there were three. Walking to the first in the queue she opened the door and got in. Breathlessly she gave the driver her address before resting her head against the window as the coastline rushed by in a blur. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dress and hair: 
> 
> https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32341301049.html 
> 
> Shoes https://www.silkfred.com/boutiques/shoe-closet/shoes/gold-barely-there-stiletto-heels-with-straps 
> 
> Sidney's look: 
> 
> https://img.women.com/images/images/000/102/511/large/6e4d193e84601d08642566d4053b636f.jpg?1498210745
> 
> I know I didn't really need to supply an image of Sidney in a tux, but I felt it would be rude not to 😉😂


	20. Early Hours of Wednesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte gets home and reflects on the last few days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to put too many of Charlotte's thoughts in the last few chapters, but here we hear from Charlotte and learn a lot more about her. I hope it helps to clarify some of her actions.
> 
> ###There are some painful memories that Charlotte thinks from her time with Elliot which make be a trigger for some people.###
> 
> Thank you as always for all the comments and kudos! Can't believe I have over 600 Kudos. I really love reading all your comments and read them multiple times. 
> 
> Twitter people thanks so much for that wonderful last chat you had. I think I have read all of the comments, I can't seem to reply/retweet many at the moment as I keep getting kicked out of twitter. You guys are amazing and so much fun ❤ You can stop that epic thread now, the next chapter is here (only if you want to that is) the food talk made me need a midnight snack 😂

Charlotte had asked the taxi to stop at Mrs. Barnes’s house to collect Mavis and to get the spare key, she had told Sidney to hold on to the other one as her set wouldn’t fit in her bag. 

Walking through the front door, she bent down to unzip her shoes, then kicked them to the side. Now much shorter she lifted the front of her dress and walked towards the kitchen, switching on the light in the living room for Mavis as she walked passed the doorway. 

Once in the kitchen she stopped in the middle of the floor and just stood, feeling numb about what had happened. Charlotte felt she’d made a mistake leaving the ball, but her fight or flight mode had kicked in and her mind had chosen flight. She had felt all the old feelings from when she had been with Elliot come flooding back, how she had felt inadequate, worthless and powerless as she had watched Sidney’s back disappear through the door with his arm around the beautiful Georgiana. In her mind the only option she had to take some of her power back was to leave, to remove herself from the situation completely and to protect herself at home. As Charlotte stood contemplating if this had been the wisest option, her mind deciding that no it wasn’t, that she should have stayed to ask Sidney what the hell was going on, to give him the opportunity to explain, but her heart argued that this was the same situation that she had been through with Elliot and she had more to protect than just herself this time. 

The memory of the last time she had seen Elliot flooded her mind as she stood staring into the darkness. Charlotte had been at a club with a few friends from her course when her world had come to a stop. Charlotte had turned around to see Elliot kissing another woman. As Charlotte had consumed a lot of alcohol, she hadn’t been able to control her anger, she remembered walking over to them and tapping him on the shoulder. The look in his eyes when he faced her was a look she would never forget, it was like looking at a stranger. At first, he was dismissive then he became angry. They had stood in the middle of the club arguing back and forth about their relationship with him eventually yelling “If you had been better in bed and more interesting out of it, I wouldn’t have needed to look elsewhere, this isn’t the first time I’ve needed to find someone to satisfy me, you’re a frigid boring nag Charlotte.” Before turning his back on her and disappearing into the crowd. Charlotte had stood there until her friends gently led her away. She had returned to her flat alone, cried until she had eventually fallen into an exhausted sleep. Waking the next morning to pack all her belongings before driving to Willingden. 

Once she had been home she had gone  through their entire relationship trying to understand what she had done wrong and why hadn’t she been enough. Charlotte had known that Elliot had been far more experienced than she had been, but she had thought their sex life had been good, apart from the obvious nuisance of Elliot having to wear a condom,  he had never complained and she had never refused to try something he suggested even if she had expressed a concern about  it, she ended up going along with it to please him. 

It had taken a few weeks of her mum’s home made cooking and walks with her father to realise that she  wasn’t the issue , Elliot was.  Her experience with Elliot was obviously still with her, instead of staying at the ball to confront Sidney she had run away to spare herself the  humiliation. 

Charlotte moved over to the cupboard, placing a glass on the counter before pulling out the new bottle of whiskey she had bought for Sidney. She needed a strong drink to take the edge off her nerves before heading to bed. As she went to unscrew the lid she paused. She couldn’t have a drink; she knew some women had a glass of wine while pregnant, but she felt she would prefer to abstain until after the baby was born. Still holding the bottle Charlotte turned and slid down the door of the kitchen cupboard until she was sat on the floor. Her situation hitting her fully for the first time since seeing Sidney walk away. 

Charlotte had been about to tell him on the dance floor that she was carrying their baby, she had felt so close to him in that moment, the world had disappeared and all that was left was them. Being held so close to him and playing with his hair she had wanted to whisper the words in his ear. She was scared of his reaction but she thought he would be pleased once the shock had worn off. As they had danced, she had had visions in her mind's eye of his smile once he  realised he would be a dad, that even though she had taken the morning after  pill their baby was still growing inside her. Although they made a baby by accident, she was very happy that they were about to become parents, that they would be bound together by this child forever. She smiled at the thought of having a tiny bit of Sidney with her right now, even if it was obvious they wouldn’t be together to bring up their child. 

Charlotte  pulled her knees up and hugged them close , she thought back to when she had taken the test with Alison and how she had first felt seeing the positive result. 

“So , what does it say” Alison asked as she pushed Charlotte to the side so she could get a clear view of the test. As she saw it , she squealed “Oh my god you’re going to be a mum.  This is so exciting!” Alison looked at Charlotte who was stood silently staring at the test as tears rolled down her face. “Hey, come  on this is exciting. Why aren’t you excited, you’ve  been telling  me  all week how amazing Sidney is, this will just fast forward things a bit but  it's not a bad thing.” Alison pulled Charlotte into a hug, but Charlotte didn’t respond, she stood being embraced by Alison while her thoughts raced through what she was going to do. She knew it was still early enough that she could have an abortion, or that she might miscarry. Both thoughts terrified her as Alison pulled away to look at her, her hands still holding Charlotte’s arms. “It’s going to be OK, there’s things you can do if you don’t want to keep it.”

Charlotte snapped her head up to look at Alison “ I know, but that’s not what I thought I’d do if I ever found myself in this situation. I need  some time to think. I can’t go home today , I can’t think when I’m around him. Whenever I’m near him my mind is too full of him .”

“ Is that how you feel about Sidney ? That sounds pretty intense.” Alison sat back down on the edge of the bath and patted it, encouraging Charlotte to sit with her. 

“It is intense. When I’m with him everything disappears, I’m consumed by him, I don’t know where I stop and he begins.” Alison rolled her eyes at Charlotte. “I don’t just mean when we’re having sex, you have a one-track mind. When I’m not with him all I can do is think about him, his voice, his eyes, his lips, his perfect straight nose and his hands. He even has nice feet!”

“Have you got a photo? I’m not sure I believe you that he’s that good looking, I mean Elliot was pretty hideous! I never knew what you saw in him, looks or personality wise.” Alison laughed as Charlotte nudged her with her elbow in mock outrage. 

Scrolling through her phone she found the photo he had sent her in his tuxedo, she heard Alison gasp as she looked at him. “I know right?”

“Fucking hell Charlotte, he’s a fucking god! Geez your baby is going to be  absolutely beautiful between the two of you. Hopefully he’s brainy as well otherwise the baby will be beautiful but dumb.” Alison laughed as they both knew Charlotte had always been the higher academic achiever out of  the two of them. 

“Oi! My baby won’t be stupid. Sidney is very clever as am I. If you care to remember I got the better A level results out of the two of us.” Charlotte laughed as Alison poked her tongue out at her.  Alison had her own successful dog grooming business as that had always been her passion, school work wasn’t something she had ever excelled at. 

“So are you going to keep it then?”

“I think so, I don’t know, probably yes. I need time to think what I’ll do if Sidney doesn’t want to be a part of  it. I want to be sure of my decision before I blurt this out and potentially ruin our relationship and his life. ”

“You won’t ruin his  life; he must be pretty sorted financially if he can buy you a four grand necklace after only dating you for a few weeks. What’s his living arrangements like? Is he renting as well?”

“He’s got his own house.  It's amazing, so big and has sea views from the  bathtub !” Charlotte scrolled through her phone and found the photo of the bathroom, she saw Alison mouth “Wow” at her, before moving to use the loo.

“Well then he’ll be able to support you regardless of whether you’re together.”

Charlotte chewed her thumb, “I don’t want his money, if he’s not interested I need to be able to support myself and this baby.  Even if he  wants to stay with me I will pay my share. I’m not a free loader.”

“I know you’re not , but  it helps  that  he’s obviously rich. The necklace tells you that even if his house  doesn’t. You need to tell him and see what his reaction is.”

“I need to work out a plan first, just in case he rejects us both.” Charlotte looked down at the test she was still clutching, she was scared that Sidney might not want the baby, it was so early in their relationship and even though he had been supportive, apologetic even when they had forgotten the condom she wondered if he had only come with her to get the pill just to be certain that she took it. The one time the condom had split with Elliot, he had told her she had better make sure she wasn’t pregnant, because if she  was, he’d make sure she either got it aborted or he’d sort it himself, she wasn’t  entirely sure what he had meant but she had never been so relieved to see her period as she had been that month. He had always been in charge of the condoms, telling her that as she was useless at taking the pill then he’d better deal with them in case she was incompetent with those as well.

Charlotte heard Alison speak  again and dragged her mind back into the room. “If he feels the same about you as you do about him, I don’t think you have anything to worry about on that level. He’s obviously very different from Elliot, don’t compare him to that idiot. For starters Elliot would never have text or rung you half as often as Sidney has since you’ve been here. Yes, I heard you whispering in the night when you thought I was asleep, I put ear plugs in to give you some privacy, but from what I did hear you two are  really mushy . I know Elliot really hurt you, and it’s  pretty soon for you to be in such a serious relationship again but you’re here now and you need to deal with it. I think you should stay here for a few more days to get your head around it, then you should tell Sidney as soon as possible. Mum and dad won’t mind you staying longer. In fact, I know dad will love having you here once the rest of us have left. He told me the house is too quiet without us. Oh my god, they’ll be so excited to be grandparents!”

“ Ssshh !  I want to speak to Sidney first. Promise me you won’t tell anyone!” Charlotte grasped  Alison’s hand tightly. 

“Of course I won’t, it’s not my news to tell.  So you’re keeping it then?”

“Yeah.” She smiled at Alison. “Yeah, I think I am.”

Charlotte laughed now, she had gone through so many emotions in that bathroom, from anxiety, to fear and despair to happiness. She had spent the next few days formulating a plan of action. So  far, she had failed miserably at putting it into motion and now it felt futile to even tell Sidney. 


	21. Early Hours of Wednesday part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of The Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.......
> 
> Please read with caution as content maybe a trigger to some and cause some upset x

Sidney and Mary took Georgiana to the office to calm her down. Mary had popped to the kitchen to get a pot of tea while Sidney listened to Georgina as she told him that Otis had broken up with her and had left their shared flat yesterday, taking all his things with him. Sidney was surprised that Georgiana had come to him as she usually told him to butt out of her relationship if he ever dared to say anything. Eventually Georgiana told him that Olivia was on holiday and that she had only come to him because she hadn’t wanted to stay in Edinburgh alone over New Year's Eve. While Sidney was sympathetic to Georgiana’s heart break, he was conscious that he had left Charlotte with Tom, he could only hope Babington would have rescued her from him. 

Georgiana continued to sob into Sidney’s shoulder as he tried to soothe her, he felt a bit out of his depth and was grateful when Mary returned and suggested she take her home and that Georgiana stay with her a few days. Georgiana had agreed readily, Sidney was sure she was in good hands, even though Mary had a lot on her mind with Tom he knew she would look after Georgiana tonight better than he could. He promised to call in on them at Trafalgar House tomorrow afternoon. 

Sidney returned to the ballroom in search of Charlotte, he had missed the midnight celebration and he hoped she wouldn’t mind once he explained. Although after all the drama that his family had caused the last few days, he wouldn’t be overly surprised if she was a bit annoyed that he’d been pulled into another one, especially as in his shock at seeing Georgiana he had unintentionally left her on the dance floor with Tom. 

Returning to the now empty table he found Charlotte’s wrap and small bag on the single chair to the side of the table. He scanned the room looking for any sign of her or their friends, hoping they could point him to where she was. He couldn’t see any of them on the dance floor, he wondered if perhaps she had gone to the toilet. He turned to walk towards the exit so she would see him on returning to the ball room when he was stopped by Stringer who was obviously drunk. His bow tie was undone along with a few buttons on his shirt, Sidney could tell his gaze was a bit blurred as he looked as though he was struggling to focus. James stood in front of Sidney swaying slightly with his pint glass in his hand. As Sidney went to step around him, he heard Stringer speak. 

  
“You don’t deserve her Parker. She’s too good for you. Leave her alone.” Stringer took a drink from his glass and looked back at Sidney, who could see the hate in his eyes. 

“That’s not for you to decide. You need to back off Stringer, she’s made her choice.” Sidney leaned slightly towards Stringer to make sure his quiet words were heard clearly. 

“That she has, that she has.” Stringer smirked at Sidney. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“She’s left, you fool. She saw you with your floozy and left. Obviously, your plan to have both didn’t work. Fucking idiot trying to have your cake and eat it.” Stringer went to move away but Sidney grabbed his arm to stop him. 

“What the hell did you just say?” Sidney couldn’t believe his ears, surely Stringer wasn’t suggesting Charlotte thought Georgiana was his girlfriend. That was ludicrous, she was far too young and not only that Sidney had already told Charlotte he would never cheat on someone. 

“The whole town knows you’re a fucking player, I tried to warn her, but you had her fooled. Not anymore, she’s seen you for the cheating scum you are.” Stringer sniggered as he pulled his arm away, before Sidney knew what he was doing he had hit Stringer, his fist connected with Stringers nose hard and fast. His hand now hurt and he stood shaking it out, flexing his fingers to make sure he hadn’t broken anything. There was blood pouring from Stringer's nose down his face on to his shirt soaking it, changing it’s bright whiteness to a dark crimson. As Sidney stood watching it he didn’t see the fist coming towards the side of his face as Fred Robinson’s strong fist struck his cheek bone knocking him sideways. He staggered on his feet but managed to steady himself just as Fred lifted his fist again. Sidney ducked the fast-flying fist and managed to land his own punch on Fred’s cheek. Before it could go any further Babington and Tom had waded in, holding Sidney and Fred apart while Esther handed Stringer a napkin to stem the bleeding. 

Babington was stood in front of Sidney stopping him from moving forwards, Sidney’s chest was heaving at the exertion from the small scuffle. He pushed Babington’s hand to the side, he wasn’t going to continue the fight, he needed to leave. 

“Whoa, what was all that about?” Babington asked as the other men dispersed towards the exit. 

“That arsehole has told Charlotte that Georgiana and I are having an affair. For fucks sake, after everything I’ve told her, she believes him. She’s left Babs, she’s gone because she thinks I’m with Georgiana. How fucking ridiculous is that?” 

Babington looked at Esther, who looked down at the ground. “Charlotte asked Esther about Georgiana, she told Charlotte to ask you about her as it wasn’t Esther’s place to explain.” 

Sidney looked between Esther and Babington, he couldn’t believe that neither of them had mentioned this before, something so simple and yet it has been blown out of proportion. He was annoyed at himself for not telling Charlotte before, but it hadn’t really seemed an urgent matter. He wasn’t annoyed with Esther as he knew she was trying to protect Georgiana as much as himself. He was more upset that Charlotte hadn’t trusted him enough to ask him. After every painful thing he had told her about his past she still hadn’t believed him when he told her he had never cheated and would never cheat. Running his hand through his hair he registered the throbbing in his eye and cheek bone. He touched the bone and could feel a slight swelling starting already. He caught Esther looking at him, he saw how uncomfortable she looked and realised she felt this was partly her fault, it wasn’t her fault at all, this was down to himself, Charlotte and that idiot Stringer. 

“Esther, please don’t worry, you did the right thing telling Charlotte to speak to me. I should have mentioned Georgiana to Charlotte myself. Trust Stringer to do it for me.” Sidney glared after the man in question as he pushed through the door. 

“I should have mentioned it to you, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to interfere.” He pulled Esther into a hug and reiterated what he had already said. He really didn’t blame Esther, she had respected his wishes and had given Charlotte sound advice – to go to the source, it was just a shame Charlotte hadn’t listened. “You should go to her. I know it’s late but you need to sort this out. I saw you two on the dance floor, you’re perfect together. Besides that, I like having her as my friend, you need to fix this Sidney.” 

He nodded his head; he knew Esther was right. He said his goodbyes to both of them then stopped to apologise to Tom at the door, who was surprisingly calm and even said it had livened up the evening. Apparently a lot of the older ladies had quite enjoyed the display of testosterone. Sidney tried to explain to Tom that that was wrong on so many levels but decided not to waste his time, if it made Tom happy he was pleased. He just wished the throbbing would ease, he considered getting some ice from the bar but decided he just wanted to get to Charlotte, he left the hotel quickly, grateful that he had said he would drive rather than get a taxi. 

Charlotte had put the stereo on to drown out her thoughts but had seemingly chosen the wrong playlist as it continuously played love song after love song, fueling her misery about Sidney lying to her and that she had been foolish enough to believe his lies. Charlotte had promised herself she would never be that stupid again, but as soon as she had seen Sidney, felt his lips on hers, his hands on her body she had lost all sense, taking in every lie he had said and just believing it like the fool that she was. 

Charlotte heard the front door open, she stood and moved towards the kitchen doorway to see Sidney standing by the front door illuminated by the light from the living room, highlighting the side of his face, he was holding her wrap and clutch bag tightly in his hand. 

Charlotte really didn’t want to see him right now. She understood they needed to talk but it was all too raw. Her thoughts were racing, and she knew she would say something she shouldn’t out of anger or hurt. She was also frustrated at herself for getting into this situation and knew she had a tendency to take that frustration out on others. Charlotte needed him to leave before she said something they would both regret. 

They stood for a long time staring at each other, she could see his long thumb stroking the soft material of her wrap, while she had only moved to wrap her arms around herself. Mavis had run to sit at Sidney’s feet but had given up at trying to gain his attention and had disappeared back into the living room, most likely taking advantage of Charlotte not being in there and sitting on the sofa. 

“You didn’t need to bring those. I could have collected them from the hotel tomorrow.” Charlotte lifted her chin to indicate the items Sidney held in his hand. 

“I wasn’t going to leave them there. Charlotte, I….” Sidney took a step closer, he wanted to explain to her and make her understand that she had nothing to fear from his relationship with Georgiana or any other woman he knew. 

“Sidney, I want you to leave. I’m exhausted, I don’t want to talk about this tonight.” Charlotte walked back in to the kitchen, putting the kettle on before sitting down. Holding her head in her hands she saw a single tear drop on to the table top. 

Charlotte was torn between wanting to yell at Sidney and wanting to ask him to hold her. She felt so alone, heartbroken, and scared. He was the one person she needed right now and yet he was also the one person she wanted to be the farthest away from. 

Charlotte heard Sidney walk into the kitchen, placing her things on the table before moving away to collect glasses which she then heard him place on the table as well. She didn’t look up, she kept her head in her hands, fighting the tears that threatened to spill, she didn’t want to cry, she didn’t want him to pity her. Taking a deep breath, she looked up just as Sidney was pouring the whiskey into the second glass. 

Sidney sat in the chair next to Charlotte and gulped back the strong amber liquid, emptying his glass in one go. He placed it on the table and reached for the bottle again. 

“Don’t pour another. I want you to leave. Please Sidney I can’t do this tonight.” Charlotte’s voice was quiet, barely above a whisper but the house was silent now, the playlist had thankfully ended. The silence was deafening as she looked at her fingers and Sidney sat swirling the whiskey around his glass. 

“Why didn’t you ask me?” Sidney lifted his eyes to look at Charlotte. The room was in darkness, the small amount of light coming from the living room just enough for him to make out her features. He could tell she wasn’t looking at him, her eyes cast down to the table top where she was twisting her hands together. He leaned forward to reach for her hands, to touch her and give her reassurance that everything would be fine if they just talked. Before he could grasp her hand Charlotte moved away, not just her hands but her whole body. He watched as she stood and walked to the sink, resting her hands on the top, staring into the darkness beyond the window. 

“You should get back to her, she looked like she needed you. I don’t want or need you here. It was fun and now the reality is, your girlfriend has arrived and the fun is over.” Charlotte refused to drop her head as the tears started to run down her cheeks in earnest, she would not break down in front of him, it wouldn’t make any difference as he wasn’t hers to start with so he wouldn’t stay, she needed to be strong. 

Sidney got up from his chair to stand next to her, he placed his hand on hers for the briefest moment before she pulled her hand slowly away. 

“Georgiana isn’t my girlfriend, she never has been and she never will be. She’s the daughter of a very dear friend who passed away a few years ago. I look after her inheritance and investments; over the years we’ve become friends. Charlotte look at me, please.” Sidney tried to reach for Charlotte again but she moved away. 

“I don’t believe you.” Charlotte spat out. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I don’t want to see you anymore.” Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest hugging herself tightly. 

“What the fuck? Charlotte I’ve told you the truth, OK I should have told you about Georgiana earlier, especially as she’s been calling a lot recently but she’s never really come up in conversation. Georgiana is important to me but not in the way you’re thinking. Stringer was lying, the only relationship I’ve ever had with Georgiana has been in a sibling nature. She’s 23 for fucks sake! She’s practically a child!” Sidney shouted, he felt so frustrated that Charlotte still believed Stringer and his lies rather than himself and the truth. “Look I’ll ring her and you can speak to her, she’ll be disgusted at the thought of us being anything more than we are, as am I to be truthful.” Sidney pulled his phone out of his pocket, he knew Georgiana was likely to be sleeping but he needed her to collaborate his story. 

“It doesn’t matter Sidney; I don’t want to know about your conquests. I want you to leave. Please just leave.” Charlotte started to sob, her shoulders were shaking, she raised her hands to her face and let the tears stream down her skin, streaking her perfect make up with wet lines. 

Sidney pulled her to him, he felt her resist before sinking against his chest, he kissed her head as she finally rested it against him, whispering into her hair he continued to try to convince her of the truth. “Charlotte, I have never cheated on anyone, not even as a teenager. It’s not how I’m wired. I may not say everything I should in the way that I should, but I’m not a liar or a cheat. You need to believe me.” Suddenly Charlotte pulled back, causing Sidney to take a step back because of the unexpected movement. Charlotte moved away from him, turning to face him he could see she was angry. 

“I don’t just have to believe you; your girlfriend turns up here and you expect me to just believe that she’s some old family friend. I saw the way she clung to you, that wasn’t friendship.” 

Sidney was stunned, he knew Georgiana had clung to him but as a sibling, he was struggling to understand what Charlotte had thought she’d seen to come to that conclusion. Then he remembered that her ex had cheated on her and she was lumping him into the same box as that idiot. “Charlotte I’m not your ex. I would never cheat on you. This is completely the wrong time to tell you but you need to know I love you.” He paused as he saw her finally look at him with a bit of warmth in her eyes, he thought he was starting to convince her that she had made a mistake, but then he saw her face shut down. 

“Don’t. Just don’t. Telling me you love me just to keep me quiet is disgusting. Just get out, we’re done. Over. I don’t want to see you again.” Charlotte raised her voice the more she spoke until she was shouting. She was so tired, she just wanted to climb into bed and sleep. She lifted her hand to angrily wipe the constant stream of tears from her cheek. 

Sidney stood silently watching her as she tried to compose herself, she looked so small stood leaning against the kitchen unit, still in her long gold dress, that now looked too long without her heels. He just wanted to hold her, to tell her everything would be good between them again once she could just speak to Georgiana, or Esther or Mary, even Babington and Crowe would tell her the same story. He suddenly felt his anger growing. He knew she had been hurt in her last relationship, but she was judging him and finding him guilty without listening to the facts. She was believing Stringer over himself when all he had done was be open and honest. Even telling her the most private things when they had talked long into the night, he had let her into his heart completely, baring his soul before her, allowing her to take possession of it and his heart, yet here she was throwing it away on the say so of some town gossip. 

“Is that what you really feel? That we’re over? You’re going to walk away just because James Stringer told you a lie and because your ex was a fucking idiot?” he waited for her reply, but none came, she stood with her head turned away staring out of the window. “Fine! I’ll leave, but you’re making a mistake. I’m not going to stand here begging you to love me like I love you.” He sighed loudly, resigned to the fact that he had lost her. “Goodbye Charlotte.” Sidney turned to leave, he hesitated to turn his head back towards her for one last look at the love of his life before dropping his head down and walking towards the front door. 

Charlotte walked quickly to the kitchen door and watched as Sidney lifted his hand to open the door. She knew she needed to tell him even though they were finished, he still deserved to know he was going to be a father. Just as he opened the door Charlotte called his name softly. He turned to look at her in the darkness, the light bouncing off her gold dress. 

"I'm pregnant." She spoke the words just above a whisper. 


	22. Early hours of Wednesday part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out if Sidney heard and his reaction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the comments on the last two chapters, the twitter threads and your general support. I am going to try to reply to all comments this afternoon (workload permitting). 
> 
> Trigger warning for this chapter...I read all my chapters out to Mr Beep, I struggled to get some of these words out due to the emotions (I'm a huge crier) it provoked. So please be prepared.

Sidney heard Charlotte call his name softly, he turned to look back at her, his hand still on the latch. His head was a mess, he was tired, and he was hurt. He knew he should have trusted his instincts and stayed away from her, now he knew how she really felt about him he needed to leave. His heart was shattered, and he needed to build his walls back up to protect the very last bit that was left intact. 

He looked at her standing in the doorway so small yet so determined with her hands balled into tight fists at her side. Her eyes staring at him through the semi darkness. How he wanted to walk to her and hold her, make her promise after promise that they could get through this, that once she met Georgiana, she would see that her fears were unfounded. But then his brain registered that she didn’t want that, she didn’t want to fix things. Perhaps she was right it was better to be alone than to continue this way, his heart was already broken, and although he loved her and wanted to make things right between them, he didn’t know if he could take the risk of ever feeling like this again. As he was about to move to go through the door, he heard her whisper again. 

“I’m pregnant.” He stopped still; his body was turned away, but he turned his head to look at her. He rested his head against the door, closing his eyes he took a deep breath. She was pregnant with his child but had just told him there was no future. Sidney was confused, his face throbbed around the bruise and his head ached from the tiredness and the late hour. He didn’t know what to do, a million questions entered his head. Opening his eyes, he stood up straight and closed the door. 

“How? You took the pill, I saw you .” He asked trying to keep his voice calm, when all inside him was in a panic. His mind racing ahead to how he could be part of his child’s life, if she would let him or if he would simply be expected to pay maintenance and that was it. Had she done this purely for his money? He wiped that thought from his mind, he had forgotten the condom himself. This was both of their errors not just hers. 

“I did, I don’t know. I’m sorry.” He saw her sag against the door frame, leaning her head against the solid wood. 

“Are you OK?” He stepped closer to her but stopped after one step. He didn’t want to crowd her. He had to remember that although they were discussing their baby, they weren’t together  anymore so she may not want him to touch her, to hold her.

“Yes, no. Oh God, I don’t know.” Charlotte covered her face with her hands as the tears started again. She was so confused; she knew Sidney was telling the truth she could feel it in her soul that he wouldn’t lie to her. Yet she had pushed him away, told him to leave. She had known when she was doing it that it was the wrong thing to do but had continued regardless. The need to protect herself and her baby from the rejection that was bound to come because of her carelessness. If she sent him away, she would at least have had the choice. Leaning against the cold door frame she ached to be closer to him. He was stood just a few feet away, but he felt a million miles away and she didn’t know how to bridge the gap, how to make things right and take everything that had just happened back and make her stupidity disappear. 

Suddenly she felt his arms around her, she leaned against him, whispering “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry” over and over as she sobbed against his chest while he shushed her and pulled her even closer, as she pushed her face into his chest, soaking his shirt with her tears. His strong arms holding her safe as she let out all the pent-up emotions that she hadn’t properly dealt with from her breakup with Elliot, to the fear she had felt on finding out she was pregnant and finally the utter despair she had felt when Sidney had walked towards the door tonight, pushed to do it by her own hurtful words. She knew she had damaged their relationship with her foolishness, but she hoped this was a sign that they would attempt to get through this together. 

Eventually she stopped sobbing and moved herself back so she could see his face. She gasped as she saw his cheek bone was swollen with what looked like the start of a bruise. Slowly she lifted her hand to touch the swollen skin, she looked in his eyes as he flinched under her touch. “What happened?” She asked moving her eyes back to examine the swelling, which was difficult to see due to the dim light.

Sidney sighed and moved his head away, her soft caresses too painful. “Stringer's friend punched me after I hit Stringer.”

“What?” Charlotte’s eyes snapped back to Sidney’s. 

“He took great pleasure in telling me you had left, the reason why and if that wasn’t enough, he threw a few other insults my way as well.” He breathed out deeply, defeated by the knowledge that he had lowered himself by striking Stringer instead of just leaving. “After I busted his nose, his friend took a cheap punch and hit me from the side. Babington and Tom, stepped in before it went any further. It’s not really important right now though, is it?” Sidney looked down at Charlotte with sadness in his eyes. “Charlotte, I don’t know where we go from here. I don’t know what to say or what to do.” He lifted his hand, slowly moving a loose strand of hair away from her face and tucking it gently behind her ear. “What do you want to do about the baby?” He ran the back of his fingers down her face before gently clasping her hand that was resting on his chest. As hurt as he was by her accusations the more important issue between them was their baby. 

Charlotte looked at his large hand encompassing her own small fingers and watched as his thumb stroked the back of her hand, caressing her and showing her kindness she didn’t deserve. Swallowing deeply Charlotte looked up at Sidney “I want to keep it; I want to have our child, bring it into the world and love it unconditionally.” She swallowed again before continuing “And I want you to be part of it.” She looked down concentrating on the plastic button on his shirt. “But only if you want to be.” She whispered the last few words, terrified of what his response would be.

They stood in silence, Charlotte still staring at Sidney’s thumb as it moved slowly across the back of her hand, listening to his steady breathing while he thought. Her mind racing, she had her plan of what she would do if he didn’t want to be part of their lives. She hoped she would be able to stay in  Sanditon once the baby arrived as she was proud of the business she was building up and really loved living by the sea. Charlotte knew this may be awkward if Sidney chose not to be part of their child’s life but if he did, it would be better for them all if she stayed rather than go back to  Willingden . That way he would be able to spend as much time with the child as possible even if they were no longer a couple. She had already contacted a friend about subletting the second room at the Retreat and they were arriving on Friday, that would reduce her costs there and her savings would help with the rent and all the things she would need until she would be able to go back to work. 

Sidney squeezed her fingers, pulling her eyes back to his face as he spoke softly. “OK, I guess we’re having a baby then.” Sidney gave Charlotte a half smile, before letting go of her hand and stepping back. “I’d better let you get some sleep.” 

Charlotte scrambled to follow him, already missing his touch, but she almost fell as she stood on the front of her long dress. He caught her effortlessly and held her arms until she had steadied herself. She looked up at him as he removed his large hands from her soft skin. “Sidney, are you ok with that?” Her brown eyes searching his face to try to determine his reaction, she’d had a few days to get her head around the idea of becoming a parent, she wanted to be there for him while he did the same if he would allow her to. He closed his eyes and tilted his head to the ceiling taking a deep breath, before lowering his head and opening his eyes to look into her own tired eyes.

“Yes, we can sort out the details another time. Obviously if you need anything I’m willing to contribute financially but as for the finer details, I think that’s best left until another day.” Sidney dropped his head to the side a little and gave her another half-smile before stepping backwards towards the door. “I’d like to attend scans, if that’s ok?” He saw Charlotte nod slightly. “When you know the date can you let me know please? If there’s any other appointments that you want me to come to just let me know. Work is usually quiet until end of February, but I can easily move things around if need  be, after that.” 

His back touched the door as he finished speaking, the light from the living room now shining brightly in his eyes. He blinked a few times and took in Charlotte's beauty, sweeping his eyes from her feet, where her one foot was poking out from under her dress, showing him her tattoo and reminding him how it wound part way around her slender ankle. Swallowing he lift his eyes over her curvaceous hips to her breasts and finally to her face. Even with her make up smeared, leaving black marks under her eyes, she still took his breath away. He turned to open the door. 

“Sidney, wait. Can we talk about what happened tonight?” Charlotte moved towards him, reaching out to touch him, but dropped her hand before she made contact. She wanted to explain to him about why she had reacted the way she had; it wouldn’t excuse her behaviour but she hoped it would explain it a little. 

“It’s almost 2am Charlotte, we’re both exhausted. It’s probably better to leave it until another day.”

“OK.” She whispered; she knew she had put him through a lot in the last few hours. Although Charlotte needed to put things right, she understood his need to have some space as well as his need for sleep, her whole body ached with tiredness. “I’m sorry, you know, for everything. I know you were telling the truth; I was scared I was going to lose you when I told you about the baby, then when I saw you with Georgina, I thought I’d never had you in the first place. I’m sorry and I love you too.” She stretched up on her tip toes to kiss his cheek, being careful of the bruise that was already darker and more visible than it had been when he had arrived. As she lowered herself back down, she felt his arm around her waist, his hand flat on the smooth skin of her back as he pulled her closer to him, capturing her mouth roughly, full of passion and all-consuming kisses. She returned his kisses like for like, the need for him to be closer still pulsating through her body, licking his bottom lip with her tongue as he lifted his mouth away before placing his forehead gently on hers. 

  
“Charlotte.” He breathed her name like a prayer, making it sound like the most precious sound that anyone had been permitted to make. He pressed his lips against hers once more, leaving his lips languishing softly against hers, he spoke again “I love you, very much. But I need to go.”

“I know I have no right to ask, but will you stay? Please.” She murmured back against his lips, neither of them wanting to break the intimate contact they had created. Charlotte felt him take a deep breath, her hand rising sharply on his chest and then the rush of air against her lips as he breathed out. Keeping her eyes closed she held her breath, she knew he was going to leave, and she didn’t blame him, she would probably do the same if she were him. Leaning a little closer she pressed her lips fully against his and lingered there for a few short moments before stepping back, pulling her body completely away from his. “Sorry I shouldn’t have asked. Good night Sidney.” She lowered her head, turned away and called Mavis before walking slowly to the kitchen. 

Opening the back door for Mavis to run through she heard the front door open and close. She collapsed to the floor sobbing. Her body wracked with heaving sobs as thoughts of how she had ruined the best relationship she would ever have, how she had allowed Elliot to win by letting all the insecurities he had cultivated rise again and how much she had hurt the man she loved with her whole heart and  soul.

Sidney had opened the door as he watched her walk into the kitchen, torn between leaving to preserve what was left of his broken heart or staying and offering her the very last bit of it in an attempt for them to make things right. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, everything in his body was telling him to turn around and go to Charlotte in the kitchen, but his pride was telling him to walk through the door, she had pushed him away and although  she’d briefly explained why she had done it, it had still hurt that she  hadn’t trusted him enough. He stepped forward into the cold January night as the  cold air hit his face he stopped “Fuck!” Stepping back into the house he closed the door. 

He could hear her sobbing in the kitchen, a gut-wrenching sound that tore at his soul. He hurried through the house to the kitchen where he found her, knelt in front of the open door with Mavis laying in front of her, resting her chin on Charlotte’s legs. He saw Mavis look up at him as he rushed through the room to Charlotte and knelt next to her, he touched her back with his hand and felt her jump under his touch. Sidney watched as Charlotte looked at him, slowly registering that he was there through her swollen eyes, a small unsure smile spread across her full red lips as tears continue to run down her cheeks. Sidney used the pad of his thumb to softly wipe the tears away from her smooth cheeks before standing and stretching his hand out for her to take, she took his hand and she stood up on shaky legs, while he closed the door and locked it. 

Wordlessly he led her up the stairs to her bedroom, where he slowly undressed her, replacing her evening gown for the fluffy  towelling pyjammas that had been left on the bed. He then reached into her hair and gently pulled out each single clip and pin, placing them on the bedside table as he watched her curls unravel and fall around her shoulders. Finally, the last pin had been removed and Sidney kissed her forehead, before pulling back the covers for Charlotte to climb under. As he walked around the bed, he slipped off his jacket and placed it on the chair before untying his bow tie and removing his shirt, placing them across the chair. He used his toes to slip off his shoes and lowered his trousers. Sitting on the bed he pulled his socks off before joining Charlotte under the covers. 

They naturally gravitated towards each other, wrapping their arms and legs around the other. Charlotte’s chin tucked under Sidney’s as she stroked his back with her free hand. “Sidney, I’m sorry for everything I said earlier. I believe what you said about Georgiana. James and  Mrs. Barnes told me you’d had an affair with her, I asked Esther and she said I should speak to you. She was right, I should have especially once I saw Georgiana’s missed calls the other day.” She stopped to take a shaky breath, she felt Sidney kiss her head in support, she carried on in a whisper. “When I was with Elliot, he made me feel worthless, foolish, incompetent and weak. I hadn’t considered how deeply his words had affected me, I thought I was over it all, especially when I met you.” Charlotte turned her head and softly kissed his neck. “Then I started doubting if I was worth your time and attention, I know you were open and honest with me, but something inside me just wondered why. I squashed the feelings down, thinking I would just enjoy our time together, but then before I left for Christmas, I  realised I love you, with all my heart. I  don’t feel worthy of you or your love, finding out I was pregnant was just confirmation of how useless I am. I...” 

Sidney tried to move himself away from Charlotte’s tight embrace, but she wouldn’t loosen her grip, so Sidney turned on his back and pulled her more on to his chest, her face resting on his bare skin, both his arms wrapped tightly around her. “Charlotte, you are not useless. We both forgot the condom, it wasn’t just one of us, it was both. Yes, it’s much earlier in our relationship than either of us would have liked or planned, but we are so lucky to be blessed with having a baby. Everything will work out how it’s supposed to. And as for not being worthy of me or my love, you are. In every way you are. You see me for me and let me be me. You don’t ask anything of me, yet you give me so much of yourself. Talking with you brings me clarity, kissing you and making love with you brings me more pleasure than I have ever known. God, Charlotte just being with you brings me so much happiness as well as a calmness that I have never felt before. Without your love for me I am not worthy of you.” He could feel her tears on his skin as his own ran down his cheeks.

They lay in silence for a few moments. “Sidney, I want you to be a part of this, properly, not just coming to scans and appointments. I want us to be together properly.”

“We will be, we’ll do this together.” 

Charlotte tilted her head and kissed his soft lips and whispered, “I love you.” against them as she stared into his dark eyes. As she placed her head back on his chest, she heard his deep low voice say the same as he kissed her  head .

Both closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep safe in the knowledge that all may not be perfect between them but that they would work together to achieve what their version of perfect would be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are a few songs and pieces of music I listened to when writing this chapter: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvj6PE3gN4o 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zABLecsR5UE 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q31tGyBJhRY 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liE6jLkZSNU 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxFynNE7n04 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFHGw41PZoc 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VR-6AS0-l4


End file.
